Naruto: Legends of Two Jinchuriki
by X009
Summary: As Naruto embarks on his three year trip, a single argument and a chance encounter forever change the course of his destiny. Watch as these two hurt souls, linked by a red string of fate and a shared burden, strive to overcome the obstacles in their path. Rewrite of Naruto: Nine and Seven.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, all you readers and writers out there. X009 here with the remake of my personal favorite of the three stories I've written so far: Naruto: Nine and Seven. I hope fans of the original enjoy this new version even more.**

**Looking back at the earlier chapters of the first version, I found myself extremely unstatisfied with the writing and how I developed the story and Naruto and Fuu's relationship. I hope to correct my past mistakes and make this one more serious than the original.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

* * *

The midday sun shined down on the world from a clear, nearly cloudless sky. It was another one of the beautiful days the Land of Fire was known for. The songs of birds and the cries of cicadas could be heard flowing along with the slight breeze that flowed through the area as the critters of the forest went about facing another day of life.

As the sun rays bathed the land in its light and warmth and the sounds of nature echoed through the land, two figures walked down a dirt path between a deep forest and a gushing river.

The first was a fairly tall man, standing just over six feet tall. He had spiky white hair tied in a ponytail that trailed down to his waist and framed his face in a pair of bangs. He wore an unusual, horned forehead protector that bore the kanji for oil as opposed to the sign of his village. He wore a green kimono shirt with matching pants held by a black belt over mesh armor along with a red haori that had two yellow circles on its sides and wooden geta sandals. He had two red lines trailing down from his eyes and had the summon scroll of the toads strapped to his back. He was non other than Jiraiya of the Sannin, one of the most famous (and infamous with the ladies) shinobi in the world.

The other was a young boy who'd just reached his teens, moving to the side of the road to get a better view of the walled town in the distance, close enough that it could be seen but too far to make out any of its features. He had spiky blond hair and ocean blue eyes. He was a bit on the short side, though no one would mention it lest he go off the handle, and had lightly tanned skin and three whisker-like marks on his cheeks. The boy wore an orange tracksuit with blue shoulders and waist, a white swirl on the shoulder, large white collar and a red swirl on the back along with a forehead protector marking him as a ninja of Konoha.

This was Naruto Uzumaki, Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi and self proclaimed future Hokage.

"Where are we headed this time, Pervy Sage?" Naruto asked, looking up at his sensei. "Are we actually going here for a reason, or are you just looking to goof off some more?"

Jiraiya turned his head, casting a slightly irritated look towards his student. "How many times have I told you to stop calling me that? What's it going to take for you to show me one iota of respect?"

"For starters, you could actually teach me something." Naruto scowled, his eyes squinted like a fox's. "All you've done since we left the village is leave me on my own while you go off looking for 'research'." He said, his tone making it clear what he thought of his sensei's antics.

Jiraiya gave a bark of a laugh as a smile spread across his face and he came to a stop.

"Well if that's what's bugging you, your troubles are over. I was just thinking this is the perfect place to get started."

"Really?" Naruto said, his eyes taking on an excited gleam as his fists balled in anticipation. "You mean you're finally done being a pervert and are ready start training me?"

Despite the fact that the whole purpose of this trip was his training, they'd done nothing for the past two weeks. They'd visited two villages and one city in the Land of Fire and so far, the Sannin had left him to practice his chakra control while he went off doing god knows what. Sometimes, he said he'd needed to meet a contact, but other times the blond thought the Sannin was just peeping somewhere.

"For the last time, kid, I'm a super-pervert!" Jiraiya replied heatedly.

"Big difference." Naruto scoffed, rolling his eyes at his sensei's antics. Hooking his fingers behind the straps of his backpack, he resumed walking ahead of the Sannin, his anxious expression returning. "So, let's get this show on the road. Where are we headed?"

"Actually, it's over here." Jiraiya said, pointing his thumb to the trees as the blond turned around to look at him. "If I remember right, there should be a lake just past here. Seems like as good a place as any to start."

With that, the Sannin turned away from the path, brushing aside some of the foliage in his way as he stepped beyond the tree line and said over his shoulder, "Come on, kid this way." But he needn't have bothered; the blond was already in pursuit of his sensei.

It wasn't long before the two found themselves in a large clearing surrounding a lake, just as the toad summoner predicted. The sun reflected off of the crystal clear waters as the large man took stock of the location and nodded to himself.

Naruto took off his backpack, laying it against the trunk of a nearby tree before joining his sensei. "So, what are you going to teach me, Pervy Sage, another awesome jutsu like the Rasengan? Or maybe how to breath fire or…"

Jiraiya closed his eyes and shook his head, "Nah, the Rasengan's enough and you don't need any run of the mill tricks like that." He opened his eyes, though his smile faded a bit when he saw the excitement had drained from the blonds' expression.

He could kind of understand why. Even before things had gone downhill for the boy after the exams with the appearance of the Akatsuki and Sasuke's defection, the boy always looked forward to learning new jutsu, just like the kid he was. And now, he didn't just want new techniques for the sake of it, now he had reasons: to retrieve Sasuke and defeat the Akatsuki when they finally come out of the wood works.

But he didn't need anything like that. Not with the incredible power buried inside him.

"Listen up, kid. Here's what I want you to do…"

"Hang on a minute, Pervy Sage." Naruto interrupted, a slight frown marring his features as he looked up at his sensei. "What exactly do you plan on teaching me?"

Jiraiya seemed a little surprised by Naruto's question, but he answered quickly.

"Well, I'm thinking you should stick to what you know." Jiraiya replied, running his hand through his hair and letting it rest on the back of his neck while looking off into the distance. "I'm going to teach you how to break genjutsu and polish off your taijutsu skills." His gaze fell back on his student. "But most importantly, I'm going to teach you to control the power of the fox."

Naruto didn't look impressed and simply stared up at the Sannin. He remained silent for a moment, almost expecting him to say something else.

"… And?"

Jiraiya blinked.

"And what?"

"… That's it?" Naruto asked before his mouth twisted into a scowl. "That's it? You drag me away from the village on a three year trip and that's all you've got for me? 'Stick to what I know'? That's it?" He questioned, his voice increasing in intensity with each word.

Now the toad summoner frowned, "Yeah. Think about it kid, you've felt that power. You've seen what it's capable of. What more could you need?"

"Oh, I don't know, how about anything?" Naruto shot back. "When you brought me out here, I thought you were going to teach me all kinds of incredible jutsu, but really all you planned to do was teach me to pull more power from the fox."

"And what's wrong with that?" Jiraiya questioned, tilting his head and raising a brow. "Kid, do you realize there are people who would kill for the kind of power you've got?"

Naruto crossed his arms, now giving the Sannin a full blown glare as he said, his tone adamant and unyielding, "Yeah, and what would you or those guys know about it?! I've only met one other guy with a monster sealed inside him, and you're not him!"

"And he's not afraid to use his tenant's power!" Jiraiya refuted, growing frustrated with his student. Well, he certainly hadn't seen this coming. Didn't the kid realize just how massive the fox's power was? What he'd used so far was just the tip of the iceberg. If he ever managed to fully master it, nothing could stand in his way. He'd take the ninja world by storm… and he was refusing to use it?

"Listen kid, the Fourth entrusted you with that power, and whether or not you want it, there are people who are coming for it. It's your greatest trump card, so like it or not, you are going to learn to use it!"

Taking a step forward and bringing his fist up, Naruto rebuffed, "I'm not budging on this! If that's all you're going to teach me, then take me back to Konoha right now!"

Jiraiya let out a growl of frustration as he pinched the bridge of his knows.

"You know what?" The Toad Sannin began, "I'm going into town for a drink. You stay here and practice your chakra control." With that, he turned away and walked off towards the town. Maybe after the boy cooled down a bit, he'd be more willing to listen to reason.

"Fine! Go on and get drunk! That's all you've done for the past two weeks anyway!" Naruto shouted after the Sannin, huffing once the man was out of sight.

What did he know? Yeah, he was one of the most skilled ninja in the world… and he did have years of experience… and, according to him, he'd actually been the first choice for taking up the position of Hokage after the Third passed…

Naruto winced slightly and his hand clenched at that thought. The reminder of the loss of his grandfather figure still hurt even to this day.

… But he had no idea what it was like… how could he?

Naruto's expression took on a somber air as his line of he continued with that line of thought. It wasn't like he didn't know how powerful the Kyuubi's chakra was. He'd felt it coursing through his body. It was so… massive… so exhilarating. It felt like he could take on anyone when that power flooded his system.

But at the same time it was so dark. He remembered the hatred that burned through him whenever he used that power… he could keep complete control of himself while using it, but he could feel the fox's will, its rage and hate filled the chakra, its desire to slaughter his enemies, its malice mixing with his own consciousness.

How could he possibly know what that's like?

Even then, it's not that he didn't want to learn and master it; he knew he didn't have a choice in that, and he wanted to use everything he could to protect those precious to him. Besides, something good should come out of the hell he had to endure just for being blessed/cursed with it. Thinking of all that time when he'd been alone, when he'd been shunned for some reason he'd never been able to fathom until he'd learned the awful truth… that couldn't have all been for nothing.

It wasn't that he didn't realize that, it was that he didn't want _that_ to be all he was.

That power couldn't bail him out all the time. He'd relied on it to stop Sasuke… and he'd still blown it and he was certain that was because he could hardly face the Uchiha without it. If he'd been stronger… if he could fight on par with Sasuke without the fox's help, then he'd have won hands down.

Besides, look what relying on his demon had done to Gaara. While he knew it wasn't the same and he would never turn out that way, he still didn't want to risk falling under the fox's influence like Gaara did with his own demon.

So if all Jiraiya planned to teach him was to control it and to polish off what he already had, he felt he might as well go back to Kakashi. After all, the Sharingan bearer kind of owed him, and Sakura, for focusing on Sasuke like he had.

Naruto's eyes shown with determination as his mind returned to his teammates, a reminder of what he had ahead of him. He knew that wherever Orochimaru had taken Sasuke, he'd be training him and teaching him all kinds of new techniques so he'd be as strong as possible when it finally came time to take his body. If he was going to save his friend from himself, not to mention fight off the Akatsuki when they finally showed their faces, then he couldn't afford to just sit around.

Seeing nothing better available to him, he decided to do as the Sannin told him. Picking up four leaves, he walked onto the water, each step sending out a ripple across the lake, as he began an exercise Jiraiya had taught him: holding the leaves to his body as he maintained his place on the clear surface.

He kept this up for about ten minutes before he decided that, since he was doing this with no trouble, he should add more leaves. After half an hour, he allowed four to fall to the water and summoned a shadow clone to serve as a sparring partner. Finally, two hours, one of which filled with non stop sparring, passed and Jiraiya still showed no signs of returning.

"What the hell is the old man doing!?" Naruto roared to the sky in frustration before crossing his arms impetuously as he grumbled, "Lousy pervert. I bet he's living it up at a brothel somewhere."

There was no way he could spend this long at a bar, right? Unless he was either getting completely wasted, in which case he probably wouldn't be able to train him, or he'd found some girls, in which case he'd probably be gone all day. Neither of those options was particularly appealing and the blonds' already small amount of patience was quickly wearing thin.

It wasn't long after that that the blond finally got tired of waiting and took off towards the town, intent on giving the Sannin a piece of his mind.

It didn't take him long to reach the town. He took a brief moment to observe the village's architecture, being a mix of eastern and western themes, as he walked down the lightly crowded streets before getting down to business, his eyes roamed the buildings before he decided to get down to business. After all, this was a fairly large town and there was no telling how many bars there were, or if the Sannin was still where he said he'd be. He decided his best option was to ask around, and promptly walked over to a bystander to do just that.

Unfortunately, it seemed few had noticed the Sannin despite his unique appearance, and those who did either had no idea where he was now or turned out to be mistaken. There were also quite a few bars in the town and in short order, Naruto had visited four with no luck.

After fifteen minutes of fruitless searching, the blond Uzumaki got fed up with looking the old fashioned way. Rushing up a nearby building and flipping onto the roof, he made a familiar, cross shaped hand sign and in a poof of smoke, he was surrounded by ten clones of himself.

The doppelgangers, each possessing the memories and thoughts of the original at the time of their creation, knew what to do and immediately rushed off in different directions while Naruto himself leapt across the roof tops so that it wouldn't be too difficult to find him if the clones had any news.

It was ten minutes later that Naruto heard someone land on the roof behind him and turned to see one of his clones. "You find him?"

The clone nodded, a frown etched into its features as it pointed its thumb behind it. "Yeah, the Pervy Sage is kicking back at a bar with a pair of girls on his arms."

The blond had figured as much, though that didn't stop him from giving a frown of disappointment from actually hearing that his sensei was, once more, enjoying his leisure time when he was supposed to be getting him ready to face his future.

A mischievous smile spread across his face as he thought of how to get back at his sensei in a small way and get him away from those girls. "That so? Listen up, here's what I want you to do…"

* * *

Jiraiya threw back his head and let out a loud laugh which echoed through the bar, though it was ignored by everyone else, as the two rather lovely ladies by his side giggled, leaning against his sides.

The man was reclining in one of the booths in the bar with his arms around the waists of the two, the one on his right had long brown hair that fell halfway down her back and wore a long red dress that hung snugly on her hourglass figure while the girl at his left had black hair that reached her shoulders and wore a short sleeve olive green shirt over a t-shirt, both of which bore her midriff, and a matching short skirt.

The Sannin's arms were around the two women, in his right hand there was a cup of sake while his left hand inched down the side of the girl's bare waist before coming to rest just above her hip. There was a light blush on all their cheeks, showing that they were beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol they were putting away. Lying scattered on the table before them were four empty bottles of sake.

"Master Jiraiya, you're such a big spender." The young woman on his right giggled.

Jiraiya let out another laugh as he turned his head towards her, taking in the sweet scent of her hair and perfume. "All in the name of having a good time! Hey, barkeep! I'm in a good mood, how about a round on me, and bring a bottle of your finest sake to my table!"

Not like he needed to conserve the cash, he was a best selling author after all. Oh yes, since he left his student, things had been looking up for the Sannin. If things continued the way they were, he might even get some 'hands on research' done. Of course, he'd have to get back to his student. After all, it was his responsibility to train him… but that could wait until tomorrow. Or he could always send a shadow clone back to supervise his training while he enjoyed himself.

Just for today of course.

"You got it." The bartender nodded. "Hey, you all heard the man, next round's on him!" With that, he turned to get the drinks as the other customers quickly gathered around the bar, many praising the man.

"Wow, the very best? You sure know how to treat a girl." The girl at his left said, tilting her head and resting her forehead against his cheek.

"Oh, trust me, I'm just getting started!" The toad Sannin chortled, throwing his head back and laughing as the bartender brought him his drink.

"Really? If you keep this up, we might just have to give you a special treat." She whispered into his ear alluringly.

The Sannin couldn't help the delighted cry that escaped him as the woman's offer reached his ears. Turning to face her, he said, "That so? In that case, why don't we go rent a private room and you can sho-"

"There you are, Jiraiya!" A feminine voice called out across the room, cutting the Sannin off and drawing all eyes to the door. As the Toad summoner's gaze fell on the source of the voice, he couldn't help but gasp, his eyes widening and a slight chill creeping down his spine as he felt as if he was seeing a ghost.

Standing at the door was a woman wearing a brown sleeveless dress over a blue blouse. She had blue eyes and long, brown hair that went down to her waist, but what struck the Sannin was her facial features. The shape of her face and her large, round eyes brought two other individuals to mind.

One was his newest apprentice and the other… the other was the only woman who could terrify him as much as his old teammate Tsunade when she was in a rage… and the only woman who's temper was even greater than that of the slug princess. A beautiful woman with long red hair who, after a particularly vicious beating she dolled out during her academy days because of the relentless teasing of some of her classmates, had been nicknamed the 'Red Hot-blooded Habanero'.

The Sannin was left frozen, dumbstruck because of how the woman at the door reminded him of her… specifically, his worst memory of her. The one time she'd caught him peeping on her and she delivered a beating that almost ranked up their with the one Tsunade dished out when the same thing had happened to her years prior, though it hadn't quite made it onto the surprisingly short list of times he'd nearly died like that one had.

This woman's face was twisted into the same look of pure, unadulterated rage, her hair whipping around her like the tails of a demon the same way the redhead's used to as she stalked over to the Sannin, a sight that left his eyes wide and his mouth agape.

"Where the hell have you been?" The woman growled through gritted teeth at the still bewildered man as she drew closer and closer to him, the righteous anger she exuded making all the patrons cower away from her path.

"Don't tell me you've been here living it up here all day!" She snarled as she reached the man, roughly grabbing him by the collar with her right hand and pulling him close so that their faces were inches apart while her left hand was balled into a fist, reared back and ready to give him a beating. "I can't believe I actually trusted you! Again! You do this every time! How can you go off and have fun when you're supposed to be watching your grandson!?"

The Sannin's mind, a moment before frozen in the memory of the beating the fearsome redhead this woman reminded him of delivered to him, returned to the here and now at the word 'grandson', though now it was left utterly confused and befuddled.

Jiraiya blinked. "… What?"

"Don't act like you don't know! Or are you so drunk off your ass that you forgot you were supposed to be watching your own grandson!?" She said, pointing to the door.

Jiraiya was the first one to follow her finger and couldn't help but gasp again. Standing there was none other than Naruto, a mischievous smirk etched into his features, but it was wiped away a moment later, replaced with a bashful, slightly fretful expression as the other patron's saw him too. Shortly afterward, he bolted off, seeming too shy to stand being the center of attention.

In reality, he just couldn't keep himself from laughing anymore.

'_This is…_' The Sannin quickly realized just what was going on. This was no woman before him, it was one of the blonds' clones under a henge! This was payback for leaving him back at that clearing!

Jiraiya opened his mouth to angrily shout at his student before all the beautiful daydreams he was having about how this day could turn out were ruined, but he was silenced as one of the patrons asked with a disgusted frown, "Whoa whoa whoa, you mean this guy was supposed to be watching that kid o' yours the whole time he's been here?"

"He didn't tell you about it? Why am I not surprised?" The woman responded before burying her face in her hands. "Honestly, I don't know why I trust him, but it's not like I have much choice since I have to work all day and his father's gone, but it's just so hard. I work nearly the entire year just barely scraping by and when I call him so I can have just a few hours to rest, he goes off and has the time of his life! And if I stop we'll lose our house and wind up on the street and…" she said lamenting, seeming too depressed to continue.

Jiraiya's breath caught in his throat and all he could do was make a few unintelligible sounds as the customers and bartender crowded around the disguised clone, many sending her sympathetic looks. The Sannin was dimly aware that the two women on his arms had joined the crowd. "That's awful, but doesn't he help you at all? I mean, I heard he's a best selling author or something."

"Yeah, but he's stingy as hell." The disguised clone's eyes narrowed as her gaze returned to the Sannin. "He never wants to spend his own money on anything other than enjoyment! And sometimes not even that! I remember one time I came home and found he'd spent all of my son's money at a bar!"

"WHAT?" Was the resounding response to those words as the bar's many patrons turned to the old man, throwing hateful glares his way.

Jiraiya was absolutely speechless, his eyes darting across the room.

"Th- I-," He began before finally finding his voice. "That's ridiculous! I never did any such thing! And that brat is not my grandson!" he yelled, shooting out of his seat and banging his hand against the table before pointing to the door. Although, in the back of his mind, he did recall blowing the boy's savings at a bar that one time…

No one seemed to believe him however. "And now the bastard denies it! I saw the way you looked at her, that was the look of a man who knows he's been caught!" One of the patrons yelled, and Jiraiya inched back to the wall, raising his hands defensively.

"How can you let your poor daughter work herself to the bone and then mooch off of her when you're loaded!?"

"I can't believe I let him charm me!" The brunette said with a disgusted tone, as if she felt dirty for just allowing him to touch her.

"We don't need your kind here!" The bartender yelled.

A moment later, the doors were flung open and the Sannin was thrown out of the building, yelling in shock as he sailed through the air before landing face first in the dirt.

"And stay out!" The bartender yelled after him as the disguised clone walked through the door before he slammed it behind her.

"Hn, serves you right, you old perv." The disguised clone bent over and rested its hands on its hips, an amused grin playing across its face before it dispersed.

A growl was heard as the Sannin picked himself off of the ground, gritting his teeth as his head tilted forward, concealing the top half of his face in shadow, and his fist trembled with anger as he could almost feel himself being cut by the shattered remnants of his hopes for the night.

Oh, the blond would pay. He would pay for daring to do such a thing! But… The Sannin took a deep breath to suppress his fury… that could wait until they sparred. For now, he had to find the little cockblocker.

Now focused on this goal, though one could still clearly read the anger on his face, he went off in search of his student. It wasn't hard; as not far from the bar the sound of a young teenager's hysterical laughter reached his ears.

Following the sound, he soon located the boy, who lied on his back, holding his stomach from the pain his laughter was causing.

Jiraiya simply glared down at the boy for a few moments before kicking him in the side, not hard enough to really hurt him, but enough to get his attention.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up." Jiraiya grumbled at the young Jinchuriki, who continued to laugh uncontrollably. It was a good minute before the boy got himself under control and took several breaths as he finally calmed down. "You done?"

"Ah… you should have seen you're face, Pervy Sage." Naruto said as he sat up, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Yeah, real funny." Jiraiya grumbled in annoyance, scowling down at the Uzumaki. "You know I'm never going to be able to show my face in there again, right?"

"So? It's your own fault for leaving me on my own for the last two weeks." Naruto shot back before something occurred to him. "Now that I think of it, I should make you pay me back for that time you spent my money at that bar! With interest!"

"In your dreams, kid." Jiraiya replied with a snort. With that, he turned and began to walk away, gesturing for the blond to follow him. "Come on, might as well get back to your training. Not like I've got anything better to do." He grumbled that last part, the fact that he could be spending the night with two beautiful ladies returning to the surface of his mind, rekindling his anger.

He quickly clamped down on his growing rage, reminding himself just how therapeutic a good, one sided, no holds barred sparring session could be.

Naruto stood up and, after brushing the dirt off his cloths, followed after the Sannin.

"Are you really going to train me this time?" He asked.

Jiraiya turned his head and looked at the blond prankster over his shoulder and asked back, "That depends, are you going to let me talk some sense into you about your tenant?"

Whatever was left of Naruto's good mood immediately vanished with that question and he frowned at the Sannin.

"There's nothing to talk about. Teach me something else or take me back to Konoha." He replied stubbornly.

Jiraiya sighed. "Let's continue this discussion back at the clearing."

Not a minute later, Naruto came to a halt and rubbed the back of his head as if it were in pain.

Noticing his student had stopped; Jiraiya looked over his shoulder and seeing this, asked, "Something wrong?"

"Huh? Ah, it's nothing." The blond said dismissively. "Just one of my stupid clones got caught at the hot springs looking for you. I guess they thought it was trying to take a peek and…" A beat. "Wait a minute, how did I know that?"

"Oh ho! So, you've finally figured out the secret of the Shadow Clone Jutsu, have you?" said a grinning Jiraiya. "I was wondering if you'd ever notice it."

Naruto blinked as his mind processed what had just occurred. "Wait a minute… you mean that I learn everything my clones did when they pop?"

"Uh-huh." Jiraiya nodded. "When a shadow clone is dispersed by any means, everything they learn is transmitted back to their creator. That includes anything they did, saw, read, anything. It makes it the perfect jutsu for spying, allowing the user to spy on the enemy without even the slightest risk to themselves."

Naruto stared at the Sannin in disbelief, thinking of many different ways he could have used the jutsu, before facepalming. "… Why didn't I notice that before?"

Jiraiya shrugged. "My guess, their memories were too similar to yours for you to notice the difference. Can you think of one time you used that jutsu where you haven't either been in a fight or in need of a sparring partner?"

Racking his brain for a moment, thinking of every time he'd used the shadow clone jutsu the boy realized he really hadn't ever used it outside of battle. Not once. After dwelling on it a moment, Naruto grinned and placed his hands behind his head.

"Whatever. That just makes it even more awesome."

Even though clone techniques had been his worst subject and he still couldn't create basic clones, the Shadow Clone Jutsu had quickly become his favorite technique. It was just so useful. There was no situation where it couldn't help.

"Heh, yeah, to you. Most people can only make one or two shadow clones without tiring themselves out, you know." Jiraiya pointed out, although this did give him an idea.

The reason he wanted so badly to teach the boy to master his Biju's power was because he had a lot of difficult battles ahead of him with the Akatsuki hunting for the Jinchuriki and his best friend in the hands of his own former rival. He needed to become as strong as possible as quickly as he could, and the Kyuubi's chakra was so overwhelmingly powerful. It might be just what he needed to face his future enemies. And, though he'd wished time and time again he knew what his late student had been thinking when he did this, Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, had, for whatever reason, entrusted it to him. He must have had something in mind. But the toad Sannin had been so dead set on that that he'd ignored another advantage the blond had, ironically also because of the fox's presence.

Jinchuriki possessed inhuman amounts of chakra as a result of having a Biju sealed inside them, something any shinobi worth his salt should know. However, until now, Jiraiya had never considered how this could be used together with the shadow clone technique. Combine the boy's ability to make dozens of clones, each with enough chakra to perform, or in this case, practice jutsu, together with the memory transference… Oh, this had potential.

"Yeah, well that's too bad for everyone else."

Jiraiya couldn't help but chuckle as he thought of the possibilities.

"You got that right."

* * *

It wasn't long before the two returned to the lake. Standing just beyond the water's edge, Jiraiya crossed his arms as he looked down at his student, who stared back at him with his brow furrowed in determination, clearly not willing to back down on their argument.

'_Heh, the kid just might get his wish._' Jiraiya thought to himself. The more he'd thought about it, the more he was sure that the blond could benefit from using shadow clones to speed up his training... and the more he felt like banging his head against a wall for not thinking of it sooner.

It was basically the kid's signature jutsu! He'd seen him use it all the time! How could he not have seen its potential earlier when it was staring him right in the face!?

But he put those thoughts to the side for now. Right now, it was time to get back to the roadblock he'd come to with the boy's training. With or without the shadow clone jutsu, he would have to learn to control the Kyuubi's chakra, and for whatever reason the boy seemed very unwilling to do that.

"All right kid," Jiraiya began, "Maybe you'd care to explain this one to me. What is it that's got you so against learning to harness the power inside you?"

"…" Naruto's gaze fell to the ground, but he didn't say a word for a few moments. Finally, he responded, "I never said I was against it…"

"Hm?" Jiraiya raised a brow.

"I just said I didn't want that to be all I learn while I'm out here." Naruto finished, raising his head to look at his sensei again.

Jiraiya nodded, "Ok, I'm beginning to see the problem here…" This was good. He'd heard from Kakashi about the awful chakra that he had no doubt resulted from the Kyuubi's chakra colliding with the malevolent chakra of the Curse Mark when Naruto and fought Sasuke for the last time. He had feared that perhaps the events at the Valley of the End had led the boy to detest using that power, or intensified whatever ill feelings he already had toward it, and left him adamantly refusing to use it. Still, he found himself a bit curious.

"But what brought this on?" The sage questioned. "I mean, you've felt the power yourself. What more would you need if you managed to truly master the fox's power? The Jinchuriki I know of all become nearly unstoppable powerhouses once they learn to truly harness their powers."

Naruto blinked. "Huh? Jinchu-what?"

"Ah, that's right." Jiraiya stated as if just remembering some obscure fact. "Information about the Biju and Jinchuriki is top secret in Konoha, classified to everyone, including you." He shook his head. Personally, he'd always thought that not telling the blond was a mistake. Yeah, he could see that Naruto might have reacted badly to knowing the truth, but was it really any better letting him spend years wondering why everyone treated him like a monster?

"'Jinchuriki' is the term for anyone who has one of the nine Biju sealed inside of them. You've already met one of the others; back at the Exams." Jiraiya explained.

"You mean Gaara, right?" Naruto asked before his expression became a mask of bewilderment. "Wait, so there's more people like us out there?"

Jiraiya nodded. "That's right. As I said, there are nine Biju, each with a different number of tails representing their power. From the Ichibi sealed inside of Gaara, the weakest, to the Kyuubi sealed in you, the strongest. As far as I know, at the moment there are 6 Jinchuriki besides you and Gaara and one of the Biju, the Sanbi, is dead. For now at least."

Naruto's expression shifted from shock at learning of the existence of other people who carried the same burden he did to confusion at the Sannin's last words.

"Wait, what do you mean 'for now'?" Naruto asked, his brow furrowing.

Jiraiya held his hand in an instructive gesture and explained, "The Biju are monsters made of chakra condensed into flesh and blood called, unimaginatively, chakra flesh. They're beings of pure chakra, and as such can't die in the same sense you and I can. Oh, they can be killed, though it's hard to do unless they're sealed away. Actually, I don't think anyone's ever managed to kill an unsealed one before. But I digress, that only causes their bodies to disperse. Eventually, they just reform and come back to life." He brought his hand to his chin as something occurred to him. "… That's probably part of the reason the Akatsuki are holding back for the next few years."

Naruto's face twisted into a scowl as he realized what his sensei was saying.

"It's not just me they're after, is it?"

The toad Sannin shook his head as he said, "Nope. They're gunning for all nine of the Biju. Why, I can't say, but you can be sure they have some nefarious purpose in mind."

Naruto's scowl deepened at that. Though they hadn't exactly seen eye to eye at first, they'd parted on good terms recently and he considered Gaara one of his closest friends because they shared the same burden, though it had brought Gaara far greater suffering than it had him. To know that those guys were after him too…

And not just Gaara, the other Jinchuriki as well. He didn't know any of them, but they'd probably endured the same treatment he and Gaara had. They probably knew the same hateful glares, the same rejection, and the same hell of loneliness. They'd all already suffered enough without some group of ultra powerful psychos coming after them and making their lives even worse.

"Then what about the other Jinchuriki? Isn't there anyway we can help them, we can't just do nothing!"

The Sannin shook his head. He could understand why Naruto felt that way, but the boy wasn't considering the whole situation.

"Kid, all of the other Jinchuriki are shinobi of other nations, and not all of them are friendly with our own. I can tell you right now two of them would probably kill you if you told them all this, just to screw over the Akatsuki and cripple our village while they're at it." He said, thinking of the two Jinchuriki of Iwa.

As with Iwa ninja in general, the two were fiercely loyal to their village with rock hard wills and attitudes, willing to do anything to strengthen their village's position. Few other villages would ally with them unless necessity demanded it because they were notorious for backstabbing them as soon as the battles were over, a precedent set by the Second Tsuchikage. He had little doubt they would be willing, and definitely able, to kill his student, even if he was trying to help them out.

Naruto froze at that, his face a mask of disbelief over the thought that two of his fellow Jinchuriki might kill him when he was trying to help them, just to harm his village. He shook his head, putting that thought aside before pressing his argument.

"Well, what about Gaara? We're on good terms with Suna now aren't we? And aren't there any other villages with Jinchuriki allied with ours?"

Jiraiya cupped his chin as he said, "Well, there's one other village…" he then shrugged and continued, "But even then, what are we going to do? Help them train? Maybe that could work, if a deal was worked out between our villages, but you have to understand something. Know that I don't think of you or them this way, nor do those close to you, but you should be aware that most villages see their Jinchuriki as their ultimate weapons." Naruto's scowl returned at that. Seeing this, Jiraiya quickly said, "I know, it sucks, but it's the way things are right now."

Naruto looked down to his feet as he seethed at the Sannin's words before his expression became somber as he remembered what he'd learned of Gaara's past. Unlike him, he'd had a demon sealed inside of him specifically to turn him into a weapon. Is that how it usually worked with Jinchuriki? Was that all the village's thought of them?

"Anyway, that makes them a bit hesitant to allow other nations to see what they're capable of. For the most part, all we can really do is warn them and hope for the best or try to work out an alliance to face the threat posed by Akatsuki, and we've still got about three years before they should make a move."

Jiraiya waved his arm dismissively. "But let's get back on topic. What's with this obsession with learning more all of a sudden?"

Naruto kept his gaze one the ground for a few more moments, his expression grave as his mind still dwelled on the way people like him were viewed before finally, his thoughts returned to his own training and he looked back up at his teacher.

"… I don't want that to be all I'm known for." He said finally, a slightly melancholic tone in his voice. "Yeah, that power's amazing and all… but you don't know what it's like to use it. Its chakra's full of all this hatred and rage and every time I call on it… I feel some of what it does. I don't want that to be all I can do."

Jiraiya's expression softened slightly as he could understand what the blond was saying. When large enough quantities of uncontrolled Biju chakra were called upon at once, the malevolent energy would cause the cause a burning sensation in everyone around the host and one could actually feel the seething hatred present in it. He hated to imagine what that must be like for the hosts themselves.

"And it's not always going to be enough to bail me out. It wasn't enough to help me stop Sasuke… Besides, if all I do is rely on the fox, how will the village ever really accept me as anything but the jailer of the thing that nearly destroyed our home? And if I can't even stand on my own two feet, how will I ever be worthy of the title Hokage?"

Jiraiya closed his eyes and was silent for a few moments, thinking it over. He could definitely see the boy's point of view. Jinchuriki, with the exception of those who proved themselves, were almost always treated as nothing more than containers for the beasts and blamed for the damage they caused. That or time bombs who could go out of control any minute by those who don't really know them. It was understandable that he'd want to rely on it as little as possible.

Finally, he smiled. "All right kid, you win."

Naruto seemed surprised at that before giving the man his fox-like grin.

"Actually, after thinking about it, I've had a brilliant idea for your training, if I don't say so myself." Jiraiya said, crossing his arms and nodding to himself with a self-satisfied smile.

Naruto practically trembled with excitement, anxious to know what his sensei had in mind. "Well don't keep me waiting. Spill it."

"Okay okay, keep your pants on. Remember what we talked about on our way here?"

Naruto's brow furrowed as he racked his brain for what the Sannin could be referring to before the answer came to him and he replied, "You mean about the shadow clones?"

"Got it in one. Remember how I told you that the user learns just about anything the shadow clones do? So, what do you think would happen if your clones were to, say, read a book, or learn a new jutsu?"

Naruto blinked once, then twice, and then a wide grin spread across his face.

"Yeah, that's-!" Then he stopped and frowned as he realized something. "Wait, do you mean I could have been using the shadow clone jutsu to train like crazy this whole time? Are you kidding me? Why didn't anyone tell me that?"

Jiraiya just shrugged. "I can't speak for anyone else, but I wanted you to realize the jutsu's potential on your own. Like I've told you before, I'm not going to hold your hand and walk you through everything. You said you wanted to stand on your own two feet right? You've gotta start somewhere." Then he rubbed his hands together as he decided on a training regiment. "Well, if you've got nothing else to ask, then let's get started. Why don't you go ahead and make some clones, say, eleven."

Naruto, eager to see just how quickly he improved in the wake of this new method, made the hand sign for the jutsu. "You got it."

The ordered clones materialized around the blond and Jiraiya pointed to the lake. "Now, I think your hold on the basics could use some touching up before we start you on anything new. For today, let's just have ten of them practice chakra control."

As the clones did as told, Naruto enthusiasm skyrocketed from what he'd just heard. "You mean you're going to teach me to jutsu to control the water, or maybe something like Chidori?" he asked excitedly, the clones mirroring his eagerness.

"Oh, don't you worry. I'm going to teach so much more than all that." Jiraiya said, taking on a melodramatic tone at the end. "When I'm through with you, you'll have mastered arts that make all that seem like child's play. Now," He said, turning his gaze to the remaining clone. "I've got something special in mind for this one."

"Really? What?" The real Naruto asked, anticipation clear on his features which was mirrored by his clone.

"That…" Jiraiya began, pausing for dramatic effect and letting the blonds' excitement build before smirking and finishing, "… is a secret."

Naruto deflated at that.

"Huh? Oh come on Pervy Sage, can't you even give me a hint?" He complained.

"Sorry kid, you're just going to have to be patient." Jiraiya replied before making a cross shaped hand sign and creating one clone of his own.

"Come on, you're coming with me." The Sannin's clone stated, gesturing towards the clone before walking away. While Naruto and his doppelganger obviously wanted to know what was up, the clone complied. Once the clones were far enough away, the real Jiraiya's gaze returned to Naruto.

"Now, as for you, we've got some serious work to do on your taijutsu." Jiraiya said, hoping his student would take the bait.

He didn't disappoint as Naruto frowned and said, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like." Jiraiya replied with a smirk, looking down at the increasingly irate teen. "You're taijutsu style leaves a lot to be desired. Actually, I'd say you don't even _have_ a taijutsu style. You just attack and attack with no sense of strategy or direction. Really, I'm surprised you even passed in the academy."

"Shut up, what do you know!?" Naruto shot back, sweeping his arm out in anger.

"Oh, touch a sore subject, did I?" Jiraiya asked with a knowing smirk, knowing exactly how to provoke the blond. "Hate to tell you kid, but I could take you on with one hand tied behind my back."

And the young Uzumaki continued to fall for it, hook line and sinker. "Oh yeah? Then why don't you prove it?"

"Well, if you're that confident about it." Jiraiya shrugged, holding his arms up and shaking his head as if to say 'oh well', his smirk never fading. "Since we're talking about taijutsu, no clones, got it?"

Naruto immediately dropped into a combat stance without responding, spreading his legs apart and bringing his hands up. Jiraiya placed one hand behind his back and made a beckoning gesture with his hand. That was all the invitation to attack the blond needed.

Naruto leapt at the Sannin, fist reared back to punch the Sannin, focusing all his strength into it arm as he aimed to wipe the grin off of his sensei's face. Jiraiya simply learned to the side and brought his free hand up, brushing the Jinchuriki's attack aside and allowing the boy to sail past him. Naruto landed on his hand and spun on his palms, extending his leg to kick his sensei, who, took a step back and leaned out of the way once more.

Naruto flipped upright and launched himself at the Sannin, throwing a multitude of punches, but no matter how quickly he attacked, the Sannin would avoid the blow, tilting out of the way with the minimal amount of movement before finally catching one of the punches and holding the blond in place, leaving the boy unable to dodge as he brought his foot to the boy's chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying back, bouncing off the ground twice before coming to a halt.

Naruto pushing himself off the ground with his hand and elbow and glared at the Sannin, who just waited for him to renew his assault. He didn't have long to wait as Naruto picked himself up.

Naruto glared at the Sannin, growing increasingly frustrated by his inability to land a single blow on his teacher. Gritting his teeth and letting out an aggravated growl, he once more charged at his sensei.

Once more, the Sannin leaned out of the way, this time bringing up his knee and slamming it into the blonds' stomach, causing him to bend forward, and the slamming his elbow into his back, sending him crashing to the ground.

The young Jinchuriki twisted his body to launch another kick at the Sannin, but the man saw the attack coming from a mile away. He grabbed the blond by the ankle, whipped him over his hand and threw him.

Naruto flipped in midair and channeled chakra into the soles of his feet, increasing traction and bringing him to a halt. Drawing up so much chakra that it began to surround him in visible blue wisps, he once more sprung towards Jiraiya, throwing a punch his way.

Jiraiya blocked the attack and Naruto leapt over him, peppering him with punches that the Sannin before landing in a crouch and jumping back into the fray, the Sannin making no moves to dodge or counter.

Even with his chakra enhancing his strength and speed by as much as he could muster, the boy still couldn't lay a finger on him. No matter how frequently or how he attacked, the Sannin simply leaned out of the way or brushed the attack aside with his free hand.

Seconds ticked away into minutes, and still the young Jinchuriki made no progress towards defeating the smirking Sannin. Skipping backwards to avoid a counter strike, the blond leapt up, flipped in the air, and came down in a spinning axe kick towards his sensei.

The smirk never leaving his face, Jiraiya simply side stepped the attack, the boy's foot missing his shoulder by a narrow margin, and brought his elbow to the descending blonds' stomach.

The toad sage's strength, combined gravity doing its job and pulling his target towards him, sent his elbow digging into the Uzumaki's gut, causing him to cough up a slight amount of blood and leaving him helpless as the man drew his arm back, letting him fall freely, and spun into a kick, hitting him in his side and sending him flying in a collision course with a tree.

The boy grunted from pain as he slammed into the hard trunk of the tree, cracking the bark and sending splinters of wood into the air, before falling to the ground. He coughed for a few moments before placing a hand on the tree he'd just collided with, rising to his feet a little sluggishly and glaring at his sensei, his face twisted in an infuriated snarl.

Sure, he now knew that the man he was facing was one of the most renowned and powerful shinobi in all the continents, but this was humiliating!

"Geez, is that the best you've got?" Jiraiya spoke up. "Come on, I've barely even moved here."

Naruto's frown deepened before he looked down and couldn't help but gasp. The Sannin was standing in almost the exact same spot he'd begun the battle in! In fact, there were four imprints in the dirt around his foot where he'd stepped to avoid the genin's attacks, that was all he'd managed to make him do.

"Oh, what's wrong? Am I going too hard on you? I can hold back if you want." Jiraiya taunted. "Course, I've already got one hand behind my back…" Seeing the blond grit his teeth and let out a frustrated growl, the Sannin held up his hand in a placating manner. "Hey, try to keep yourself calm. Not going to do ya any good if you lose your head in battle. Tell you what, if you're that upset, why not go all out?" Naruto's expression shifted to one of surprise as the Sannin shrugged. "Go on, you can go ahead and go crazy. I won't complain."

Naruto grinned. Unknown to his sensei, he'd been about to do just that anyway. "You asked for it Pervy Sage!" Naruto made a cross shaped hand sign, summoning up as much chakra as he had during his fight with Gaara.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Flashing into existence without the usual puff of smoke, but a mass of whispers, the Sannin suddenly found himself surrounded by what appeared to be well over a thousand shadow clones. The Sannin let out an impressed whistle as he turned his head and observed the mass of blonds.

Without another word, two dozen clones leapt at the Sannin from all directions, charging at him at once. The Sannin spun on his foot, each time a clone got into striking distance, he lashed out with a punch or a kick and dispelled it with one, quick strike, and for each one that fell, another would take its place, only to be taken out just as quickly.

He stopped as twenty clones came at him all at once from the front, jumping out of the trees or rushing across the ground, letting out battle cries as they neared.

His grin widening every so slightly, he channeled chakra into his hair, causing it to harden and extend, and with one whip of his head, his hair, which temporarily quadrupled in length, whipped around, tearing through the clones and wiping them all out in one go.

Sensing something behind him, he turned to see four clones coming at him from behind, each holding a Rasengan.

But not even the Fourth's original technique could help Naruto here. Jiraiya simply reached past the orb and batted at the clone's wrists as the approached. Two of the attacks were sent hopelessly off course, their holders promptly destroyed with swift strikes, while one was sent into another clone, the orb of chakra causing it to dispel instantly before its wielder was followed suit with a knee to the gut before Jiraiya stood straight, waiting for the next assault.

53 down, just under one thousand to go. The Sannin tilted his head as he shifted into a defensive stance and beckoned them to attack again.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Naruto stood near the edge of the clearing, breathing hard, sweat rolling down his face, mixed with blood from his mouth and forehead as he stared with a mix of anger and disbelief at his sensei. Scattered throughout their battleground, eleven clones remained, all staring at the Sannin with similar expressions.

As if that weren't bad enough, the man had still only barely moved! He didn't even look winded!

With a 'hmph', the Sannin tilted his head and smirked confidently. Naruto and his clones grit their teeth, wanting nothing more than to wipe the smile off his face.

They changed as one, launching one final assault on the man. As they made their moves, they reached into their pouches and threw shuriken and kunai at the legendary shinobi.

Once more channeling his chakra into his hair, the Sannin spun and batted the attacks away with his long ponytail. However, one of the weapons had a flash bomb attacked to it. As it fell to the ground, the small sphere exploded into light.

Hoping the attack had been enough of a distraction, clones charged, having shielded their eyes just as the bomb detonated. However, they quickly found that their distraction hadn't worked when the Sannin lashed out with his leg and wiped three of them out of existence with one attack.

The remaining clones were all dealt with similarly, and the Sannin found his vision obscured by a cloud of smoke. However, his instincts, honed by years of experience, detected the blond closing in from within the smokescreen.

Naruto leapt out of the cloud, his fist reared back and ready to launch a blow right at his sensei's smug face… only for his eyes to widen when he saw the man was crouched down, well below his attack.

Before he could make any moves, the Sannin's unleashed a high kick at the boy, his foot slammed into his stomach and sending him back into the tree once again, this time back first. He once again felt himself slam into the trunk, its bark now stripped away, and slid to the ground. This time, he didn't get back up.

The sage was silent for a few moments, allowing his student to catch his breath, before he spoke.

"All right, I think I proved my point." Jiraiya stated looking to his downed student. Now that he was no longer trying to provoke him, his expression shifted to seriousness and a hint of sympathy. "Like I said, kid, we've got a lot of work to do on your taijutsu. I didn't say anything before that wasn't true. You've got a decent punch, and your natural strength and speed are pretty high up there for your age, but right now you've got no real ability in taijutsu. Have you ever wondered why it is you usually have to throw huge numbers of clones at your enemies or use your tenant to get anything accomplished? It's because your skills are so sub-par that you can only win by overwhelming your opponents with numbers or sheer power."

He paused for a moment, letting the blond stew. Seeing a veritable cloud of gloom hovering over him, he continued, "Let me guess, no one wanted to teach you, so you taught yourself without any real instruction or checking books or diagrams, am I right?"

The young Jinchuriki nodded slowly.

"Before Iruka-sensei came along, they used to send me out all the time and ignore or mock me. Then when he tried to tell me I was doing it wrong…"

"You didn't want to listen and insisted you were doing fine like the stubborn brat you are." Jiraiya finished for him, watching as Naruto's head fell forward, hiding his expression.

Was his sensei right? Were his skills in taijutsu really that pathetic? As depressing a thought as this was, it did make sense.

Thinking back, he was right, with the exception of his fight with Kiba, which in retrospect had hardly been impressive, and his fight with Kabuto, which was won because the gray haired traitor had underestimated him, and the few cases where his unique strategies and ingenuity had won the day, every one of his fights had been won through overwhelming his opponent using the fox's power, or with sheer number of clones.

Throughout his early childhood, no one had ever tried to teach the blond anything. Before Iruka came along and bonded with him, every teacher he'd had had made it a point to ignore, if not ridicule his questions, send him out of class over the slightest infractions, and generally do everything in their power to avoid doing their job and teaching him anything.

As a result of these discouraging acts, he had developed a lack of interest in book work or learning anything he didn't find interesting. This is why he seemed so stupid. It wasn't out of lack of intelligence, but ignorance and an unwillingness to change that. Thinking back, he typically lost back at the academy during taijutsu. He'd always just played it off and told himself it was a fluke or he'd do better next time… but nothing ever changed.

After a few moments of silence, Jiraiya said reassuringly, "Don't worry about it. That's why we're here. You've had a hell of a time so far, but this is still only your first year as a genin."

Naruto looked up at that. "So we can fix my taijutsu?"

"Oh yeah, but we're going to have to start from scratch. And I think its best we begin right this moment."

"What's the first step, Pervy Sage?"

Jiraiya looked down at the blond, giving him a grin that set off warning bells in the blonds' mind as he brought his hands together and cracked his knuckles. "Well, first things first. You're going to have to relearn everything you know about taijutsu, and what better way than to have a first hand demonstration of the right way to do things? Now get up, we've got work to do."

Naruto gulped, the feeling that there was more of what he'd just experienced in store for him creeping through his mind.

This was not going to be fun…

* * *

"… That was all payback for that stunt at the bar, wasn't it?" Asked a beaten and panting Naruto as he looked up at his sensei. He was covered in bruises and scratches and a third trail of blood had been added to the two from earlier.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jiraiya responded innocently before looking up to the sky, bringing his hand above his eyes to shield it from the light. The clouds above were painted a dull red and the horizon a beautiful orange by the last rays of the setting sun. "Anyway, I think it's about time we called it a night." With that, he put two fingers in his mouth and whistled, getting the attention of the clones. "All right you guys, that's it for the day!"

A series of nods followed before all the clones, including Jiraiya's, dispersed themselves. Naruto's eyes shot wide open as the memories, experience and fatigue of all the clones suddenly hit him at once, causing him to grip his head and stumble backwards from the wave of exhaustion that fell over him.

Jiraiya grinned down at his student, now certain that this would be the correct choice for the blonds' development. A few weeks of this, and he'd probably be able to use the Rasengan with one hand, something he really needed to learn. While it was impressive how he'd managed to improvise the technique, his method of forming the jutsu was not only more chakra intensive due to needing a shadow clone, but also more time consuming, and in a life or death battle, that was something one simply couldn't afford.

Deciding to test the effectiveness of the other part of his plan, Jiraiya tilted his head to the side, searching his memories for what his clone had gone over with the blonds', and questioned, "Hey kid, tell me, who were the main founding fathers of Konoha?"

"Huh?" Naruto responded, his attention returning to his sensei. The answer, oddly fresh in his mind, immediately came to him "Oh, that's easy; Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. I remember because they had this incredible battle at the Valley of the End and…" Naruto stopped mid sentence blinked as something occurred to him. He hadn't known that before. He recalled in the back of his mind Sasuke saying something about how fitting their battle in the same place had been and it totally went over his head at the time.

He searched his mind for the source of this information and then remembered Jiraiya telling him… but that hadn't happened. His eyes widened as he realized what had happened, Jiraiya's clone had explained this to his, telling him in a way that kept him on the edge of his seat to find out what happened next, and when they dispersed, all the knowledge was transferred to him.

A grin spread across the blonds' face as he remembered what his clone had been told about Jiraiya's plan. Through one clone during each training session, Jiraiya would teach him everything he missed out on during the academy and everything he'd need to know to be a truly great shinobi. While those days back in the academy had bored the boy to tears, a reason why he frequently skipped class to go on pranking sprees, Jiraiya seemed to know exactly what to say to keep hold his interest and actually make him want to know. Best of all, he wouldn't actually have to sit through any of it himself!

"This… is… awesome! Hey, can we use this to improve my taijutsu too?"

"Afraid not." Jiraiya replied, shaking his head. "Given that they're just constructs of chakra, not everything the clones go through will carry over. While most knowledge and mental processes, like skill in chakra manipulation transfers, muscle memory happens to be one of the things that doesn't. That means that if they learn a jutsu, you're only going to get the chakra manipulation for the technique down by using them. You'll have to practice the hand signs yourself too."

"Aw man, that sucks."

"Hey, don't complain. You can still use this to learn everything else you need to know. Besides, think about it this way. Pain is another of those things that doesn't carry over. Would you use the Shadow Clone Jutsu like you have until now if you had to feel how every clone died?"

Naruto shuddered at the thought, thinking of every time he could remember seeing one of his clones get destroyed. Experience all those painful deaths himself? No thank you.

"Well, let's head in before it gets dark." Jiraiya said as he turned to walk back into town.

Naruto quickly caught up to the toad sage, walking along side of him before turning his gaze to the sky, thinking of what lied before him and how far he had to go to accomplish his dreams.

He smirked as a new confidence welled up inside him. He may be just some kid now, but he knew that someday, he'd be one of the greatest heroes the shinobi world had ever seen, and he'd have the power to protect his friends and save Sasuke, no matter how many times he had to beat him to make him see he didn't need to bear his duty on his own, that he had friends who were willing and able to help him every step of the way.

But as the two left the clearing to find a hotel, bathed in the golden rays of the day's end, neither could imagine what laid in the boy's future.

* * *

**Well, that concludes the first chapter. Please review. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey. Here's the second chapter of Naruto: Legends of Two Jinchuriki.**

**Sorry to those who were hoping to see Fuu, but she won't show up for a few more chapters. Don't worry though, she enter the story soon and this is the last training chapter until then.**

**Just to let everyone know, this version follows the anime and movies more closely than the original, up until Sasuke's defection. So, for example, the Taki and Land of Snow missions occured, but the missions of the other movies and the filler arcs after Sasuke defected didn't. With the exception, however, of the Aoi mission, so he's still out there.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

A bird flew across the clear blue sky, its call ringing out to anything close enough to hear, while Naruto and Jiraiya made their way down a road. Two weeks had passed since they had begun their training in earnest and currently, the pair were locked in the middle of an argument the two had had a quite a few times since their departure from Konoha.

"Oh come on." Jiraiya complained to his student, waving a familiar orange book through the air in exasperation. "How can you say 'no'?"

"Easy, it's only two letters." Naruto responded dryly.

Yes, once more, Jiraiya was trying to corrupt his young student and show him the joys of being a pervert, while Naruto was adamantly refusing to indulge. While Naruto had a healthy appreciation for the female form, he was not a pervert. Not now and, if he had anything to say about it, not ever.

But his sensei refused to let him rest. He'd badger him to at least try reading the book, which if what he said was true was at least thirty percent porn, at every opportunity.

"Geez, haven't you ever heard 'don't knock it till you try it'? Just give it a shot, you won't regret it."

Naruto turned and glared at the Sannin as he said, almost a shout, "Not a chance, now quit asking me!"

"You sure about that?" Jiraiya said, his voice taking on a persuasive tone as he held the book close to the blonds' face, who tilted his head away from his sensei's smut with an annoyed look. "It could give you all kinds of ideas on what you could do with your girlfriend someday…"

Naruto blinked as his steps slowed to a stop before he crossed his arms, his face scrunching up like a fox's as he seemed to think intensely on something. Jiraiya's expression brightened. Had he finally gotten through to the boy? Was he at last considering his words of wisdom?

After a few moments of anticipation of the blonds' answer, he couldn't take the wait any longer.

"Well?"

Naruto turned to Jiraiya with a dull look and said, in a perfect imitation of his sensei, "I'm sorry, did you say something?" Causing Jiraiya to face plant. Naruto then placed his hand on his chin and looked up to the sky. "I was just thinking of what Grandma Tsunade would do if she learned you were trying to turn me into a pervert."

From his place on the ground, Jiraiya's eyes bugged out and all color drained from his face as his blood ran cold. Images of his enraged teammate, towering over him, cracking her knuckles as she prepared to give him yet another beating, filled his mind.

Jumping back to his feet, Jiraiya held his hands forward in a placating gesture.

"No, don't do that! Look, if you feel that strongly about it, I'll back off, all right? Just don't tell Tsunade!"

Naruto tilted his head slightly, his gaze still on the clouds above before finally looking back to the terrified Sannin.

"Fine." Jiraiya's body slumped as a sense of relief fell over him… which was shattered by his next words. "But thanks for giving me the blackmail material." He said with a smirk.

"Huh?" Jiraiya broke into a cold sweat at that.

"Oh, you know. I can basically get you to do whatever I want by threatening to tell Tsunade about this." His expression turned thoughtful, though it still retained an air of mischief. "I could even say that you made me use my Sexy Jutsu all the time for your research."

"But I never did that!" Jiraiya objected.

"Really? Because I seem to recall you saying something about how you'd only train me if I stayed in that form the whole time."

"But I didn't hold you to it!"

"Who do you think she'll believe? Me or you?" Naruto's questioned with a mischievous grin.

Jiraiya stuttered until he suddenly calmed down and, much to Naruto's surprise, smirked.

"All right kid, you got me." Naruto took on a victorious stance before he continued after a beat. "Although… I wonder how she'd react if she learned about the sexy jutsu of yours." He said, cupping his chin thoughtfully.

Naruto face froze in an expression of shock at that as his mind was flooding with the images of how the Fifth Hokage may react to that tidbit of information.

"It _is _a pretty perverted technique, teasing someone by turning into a hot naked blonde… I'd hate to think how she might take it." Jiraiya added.

"I told you before; I made that technique to take out perverts!" Naruto shouted back indignantly.

"Maybe, but who do you think she'll believe?" Jiraiya said, throwing his own words back at him. "You throw me into the fire; I'm taking you down with me."

With a huff, Naruto jerked his head away and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Fine, you win Pervy Sage. I won't blackmail you." For now at least, but he'd keep an eye out. If he managed to get enough blackmail on the Toad Sannin, he could share it all with Tsunade in one go and make her forget all about the Sexy Jutsu… and then he could once again hold the threat of the enraged woman over his head.

Jiraiya chuckled at that and resumed walking, the blond following after.

"So, where are we headed, anyway?" Naruto asked, turning to his teacher and placing his hands on the back of his head in a relaxed stance.

"Ah, I've got some business in the next town, so we're going to be staying there a week or two." Jiraiya replied.

Naruto gave the Sannin a skeptical look, making it clear he didn't trust the man not to start goofing off again as he said, "You're going to leave on my own while you go looking for more 'research', aren't you?"

"Huh, oh ye of little faith." Jiraiya scoffed. "Don't worry about it. At worst, I'll leave another shadow clone to supervise your training while I do my thing."

Naruto pointed an accusing finger at the Sannin.

"Hey! You're not planning to leave all the work to a bunch of clones, are you?"

Jiraiya cracked an amused smile as he wiggled his finger at the blond, as if to say 'hold on there'. "Now now, hold on there, Naruto. Isn't that exactly what we're already doing?"

Naruto crossed his arms stubbornly as he scowled and replied, "That's different. We're working alongside them, not leaving all the work to them while we go goofing off."

The toad summoner waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.

"Relax kid, it's not like I'm going to do it all the time." The blond grumbled at that, knowing that if he let him, the Sannin would shirk his responsibility and go off doing kami knows what while his clones did all the work. "Speaking of which, from now on, I want you to double the amount of clones you make, ok?"

Naruto's brows shot up at that. Up until now, all they'd been using the clones for was chakra control and sitting in on Jiraiya's lessons. Did this mean…

Brightening up, the blond Jinchuriki asked, "Does that mean you're finally ready to teach me something cool, like elemental jutsu?"

Jiraiya closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I'm afraid we're going to have to hold off on that one, kid."

Naruto furrowed his brow.

"Huh? Why?"

"For one thing, I don't have any chakra paper, so I can't tell what your affinity is." Jiraiya responded, seeing the slightly surprised expression on his face, he continued. "Oh right, they probably didn't tell you that at the academy, did they?"

Naruto shrugged.

"If they did, I didn't listen, not that I needed it. I mean, it's pretty obvious what you mean. So, everyone's born with an affinity for an element then? Huh. You learn something new everyday."

Jiraiya blinked, slightly surprised the usually wet-behind-the-ears boy before him had figured out what he meant before ginning.

"Ho ho! Well, look at that! I see my brilliant strategy is already starting to pay off."

"Huh? What are you…? Hey!" Naruto shouted indignantly as he realized what the Sannin was referring to. Namely, his lessons in vocabulary. "I was never that dense! I could have figured that out just as easily before!"

Jiraiya's grin didn't fade as he shrugged, holding up his arms as if to say 'whatever'.

"Keep talking kid, but 'affinity' is pretty close to the beginning of the dictionary." He said, chuckling at the growl that escaped the blond.

Naruto huffed, wanting to get back on topic. "So why don't you teach me to use another element? Not like I'm only going to whichever one I have an affinity for anyway."

Jiraiya cupped his chin and looked to the sky as he mused, "You want to learn an element aside besides your affinity first?" He paused as he considered it. "That's a bit unorthodox… though you do have a point." Naruto's eyes took on an excited gleam, which quickly vanished when the Sannin continued, "But I still want you to get a firm handle on chakra control and the basics before we move on."

"Man." Naruto snapped his fingers.

Jiraiya chuckled at this before stopping and looking to the sky. Seeing that it was midday, he decided that it was time to stop for the day. After all, they still had training to do.

"This looks like a good place to stop. Come on kid, we need to set up camp before we can start training."

It wasn't long before they found a grove that Jiraiya felt was an adequate place to rest. It took about half an hour before camp was set up to his liking, but once the work was done, the two headed deeper into the woods until they found the tree line. Stepping beyond it, they found a large, open plane with knee high grass that swayed with the breeze.

Jiraiya crossed his arms, nodding to himself as he long ponytail blew with the wind.

"Yeah, this'll do… shame there's not a lake or a body of water you can stand on, but beggars can't be choosers. Ok, do your thing."

With a smirk, Naruto brought his hands together in the seal for the Shadow Cone jutsu and produced thirty clones, something Jiraiya arched an eyebrow at.

"Thirty?" He said, after taking a quick tally. "Hey kid, don't push it too far."

Naruto looked slightly confused as he said, "What'd you mean, Pervy Sage? The more clones I make, the faster I learn right?"

"Yes, it's true you'll gain experience faster, but you get all their fatigue too. It wasn't too bad before, but don't take things too far, or you might just collapse on the spot when you're finished."

Naruto grinned confidently as he replied, "Don't worry, I can handle it."

Jiraiya seemed to consider whether or not to let the boy go through with this and, deciding the worst possibility, collapsing from exhaustion when all was said and done, wasn't too bad and might teach him a lesson, shrugged.

"All right, but remember your limits."

It wasn't long before the clones were all divided into their duties as what was now the usual, one taking in a lesson from Jiraiya's clone and the rest dealing training in chakra control.

Unfortunately, this left the blond with Jiraiya for physical conditioning and taijutsu training. Something that caused the blond to pale as he realized before turning to the toad sage, who smirked down at him, tilting his head to the side as he said, "Ok, kid, we'll be sparring today, you know the drill."

Calming himself, Naruto dropped into his fighting stance, well aware of what lay ahead of him.

* * *

Naruto panted as he looked up at his sensei, nearly all of his renowned stamina used up as the sun set in the distance. The blond the only time he ever felt as tired as he did after a sparring match with his sensei was when he faced down Gaara during Suna and Oto's ill fated invasion of his village.

Seeing Jiraiya begin to move, the blond did his best to take a defensive potion, fighting his weariness as the Sannin charged towards him once again.

Jiraiya lashed out with a series of powerful punches, which Naruto did his best to block, deflecting each with his forearms but with each strike, he was forced to take a step back. This exchange came to an end as he clocked a downward chop from the Sannin with a both his arms in a cross guard, only for him to suddenly feel the wind rush out of his lungs when the legendary shinobi's knee slammed into his unprotected stomach.

As the young Jinchuriki doubled over from the blow, the Sannin followed up with a kick to the chest that sent him flying back and sprawling on the ground, coughing as he struggled to catch his breath.

Looking down at his student, and then up at the sky, Jiraiya said, "Well, I think that's enough for today."

Looking up at his teacher with one eye screwed shut as pushed himself off of the ground, Naruto stated, "You… you don't pull any punches do you?"

"Quit complaining, it's not like you won't be back to 100% after a good night's rest." Jiraiya responded as he watched Naruto pick himself up. The young Jinchuriki briefly stumbled back once he got to his feet, but quickly found his balance. "Now, gather up your clones, I'm heading back. I've got to make dinner."

* * *

The chirping of crickets could be heard echoing throughout the otherwise silent forest as night covered the land. Sitting across from Jiraiya before their campfire, its orange glow being the only thing illuminating their camp besides the few silvery rays of moon light filtering through the forest's canopy, Naruto happily took a bite of the steaming broth prepared by his sensei.

Though no where near as good as ramen and especially not Ichiraku's, the food was actually better than a lot of what he could get in the restaurants he'd been to. Even with the vegetables, which he normally avoided like poison, it was definitely a satisfying meal.

Leaning back as he sighed with content, Naruto said, "Man, you can sure cook, Pervy Sage!"

Jiraiya chuckled at the praise.

"Well, what'd you expect? A lot of people who live on their own can cook. You kind of have to if you care about what you eat and don't want go out for grub every day."

Naruto looked slightly surprised. "Really? That makes sense, I guess…"

Jiraiya frowned as he said, "Wait a minute, what about you? I mean, you've been living on your own this whole time right? What do you usually do for food?"

The blond shrugged, thinking on it before he replied, "I usually just eat cereal and instant ramen when I don't go to the Ichiraku Ramen Bar. Sometimes I get some red bean soup too, but that's about it, why?"

"You never eat vegetables? Or fruits?"

Naruto's face scrunched up in slight disgust. "Not when I can avoid it."

Jiraiya stared at the boy seriously. Was that really all the boy ate? How could anyone get by on that? Well, that might explain why he was so short, his body didn't have the nutrients to grow properly. That couldn't be healthy. He needed to fix this.

The Sannin shook his head and said, "That's no good. I'm going to have to teach you how to cook a proper meal."

"What?" Naruto almost shouted, viewing it as a waste of time. "Why? I've gotten by just fine so far."

"Kid, do you have any idea why you're so short compared to the other genin?" Jiraiya asked, smirking as he knew exactly how he would respond to this.

Sure enough, the young Uzumaki immediately leapt up, pointing his finger at his sensei as he shouted, "Who are you calling short, Pervy Sage?"

Chuckling slightly at the blonds' predictable reaction, he raised his hands in a placating gesture and said, "Hey, come on, you must have seen it by now. So, do you have any idea why you're such a midget compared to them."

Naruto growled before huffing and turning his head.

"No, why?" He grumbled, having wondered that several times before.

"It's because you basically eat nothing but ramen!" Jiraiya said, a little more loudly.

Naruto turned back to the Sannin, utterly flabbergasted.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" He asked, outraged that the Sannin dare speak negatively about what he regarded as being an almost divine dish.

"Do you have any idea how low in nutrients ramen is? Sure, it's tasty, but it's not exactly what one would call good for a growing body. I'm guessing you don't eat a lot of fruits or vegetables, do you? Do you even eat any meat at all, and I'm not talking about beef or pork on the side of ramen."

Huffing, Naruto responded, "Not that often. I prefer ramen to barbeque."

'_Dear kami…_' Jiraiya thought as he stared at the boy incredulously. The boy hardly even ate any meat either? No wonder he was so short, he was missing three of the basic food groups! Honestly, he was surprised the boy was as fit as he was. Thinking on it, he realized he probably had the Kyuubi to thank for that.

"Kid, you need to eat more than ramen if you want to grow bigger and stronger. You want to know how I grew up to be as tall and strong as I am? Hard work and proper nutrition, you won't get the full benefit of one without the other. Don't believe me? I can find a book on biology and prove it to you if you want."

Naruto simply stared at the man in shock, his mind reeling at the thought that the heavenly dish could actually be bad for him, every part of him refused to believe it, even though the evidence told him otherwise. Finally, with a shake of his head he snapped out of his stupor and crossed his arms stubbornly. "No way am I giving up ramen."

"Who said you have to? Everything in moderation, kid. You want to gorge on ramen every few days that's fine, long as you eat right the rest of the time."

Naruto seemed to think on it, tilting his head forward and closing his eyes in thought and Jiraiya pressed, "I'm offering to teach you. I may not be a gourmet chef, but I'm a decent enough cook." When Naruto didn't respond, he pressed on.

"Come on, kid, this is an essential skill we're walking about here." Jiraiya then smirked as he teased, "And don't you want a girlfriend someday? Maybe that pink haired girl back in Konoha? Girls like guys who can cook, you know. You might just be able to sweep her off her feet with a romantic dinner, made just for her. You'll need every advantage you can get with her still pining for Sasuke."

Naruto blushed, the thought of him sharing a romantic dinner with the pink haired girl, her amazement at learning he'd taken the time to make it especially for her filling his mind. A few moments later, nodded.

"All right. I might as well, I mean, not like we're going to get ramen every night out here."

Jiraiya sat back and grinned smugly at the boy as he said, "Glad to hear it. All right, tomorrow I'm giving you your first lesson on how to cook for yourself."

Going back to their meals, a silence fell over the two. Looking to his student, Jiraiya was surprised to see he was staring into his bowl, swirling the food, obviously deep in thought about something. He wondered what the boy was thinking of, as he seemed to be doing this a lot recently. Ever since he showed him just how poor his taijutsu skills were, he seemed to go into deep reflection on occasion.

A few moments later and the silence was broken when Naruto looked up.

"Say, Pervy Sage."

"Yeah, what's on your mind?" Jiraiya asked.

Naruto looked at him with a surprisingly serious expression when he asked, "I was wondering… you said you trained the Fourth Hokage, right? What was he like?"

Jiraiya raised a brow, having not expected that line of questioning.

"Where's this coming from all of a sudden?"

Naruto shrugged.

"It's just… he was always one of my greatest heroes. That didn't change when I found out what he sealed into me, though I'd probably deck him if I ran into him…" Jiraiya winced at that. "… but since then I wondered why he chose me. And that made me wonder what kind of person, and student he was. So, can you tell me anything?"

Jiraiya closed his eyes as he arranged his thoughts before crossing his arms and responding, "Well… I can tell you, the Fourth was that rare kind of genius that only shows up once a generation. No matter what kind of technique or concept I tried to teach him, he'd pick it up in no time at all. As you know, he created the Rasengan, and also the Hiraishin, the jutsu that earned him the title: Konoha's Yellow Flash. Using that technique, he'd clear entire battlefields in mere moments during the Third Shinobi World War. He was so feared, he was one of only a handful of shinobi to receive the flee on sight order, the others being Hanzo of the Salamander, Hashirama Senju, and Madara Uchiha, shinobi who's names alone struck terror into the hearts of any who would face them. He was a firm believer in the will of fire and as you know, a man who would pay any price to protect Konoha and those precious to him. Despite how feared he was on the battlefield, he was a very kind hearted and respectful person, and he was always calm and observant, no matter the situation."

Jiraiya looked up and said, "But I'm guessing you want to know something that might let you know why he chose you to serve as the Kyuubi's jailor, right? Sorry, but I've wondered about that myself. Ultimately, all I can say about that is that he trusted you with this power."

Naruto was quiet again, waiting a few seconds before quietly speaking up. "You know, for some reason, I've always looked up to him more than anyone else… Why do you think that is?"

Jiraiya had some thoughts on that, but wasn't about to voice them at this point. Instead, he simply said, "Probably because he's the one you've heard of the most. His generation was closest to yours after all. I mean, he was Kakashi's sensei."

Naruto was visibly shocked to hear that.

"What? Kakashi-sensei was trained by the Fourth?"

"Oh, never told you that, did he?" Jiraiya questioned. "That's right, his teacher was none other than the Fourth. A prime example of how good teachers beget good students. Stick with me kid, and your name will be up there with his in no time."

Naruto brightened up at that, thinking of having his name go down in history as a great hero like the First and Fourth Hokage. Of having the strength to truly protect the entire village from any threats that appeared in the future before a sense of melancholy fell over him.

Jiraiya frowned when he saw his mood sour. Before he could question the blonds' rapid shift in demeanor, Naruto said, "I wish the old man was still around…" He said, obviously referring to the Third Hokage. "I'd always dreamed that he'd be there, watching as I take his position."

Jiraiya sighed, closing his eyes again.

"I know… I miss him too." He said, thinking, not for the first time since that battle that claimed the lives of so many, of his sensei and the memories of his team, before it all went sour when Orochimaru and Tsunade left. He'd been like a father to him, as he'd been like a grandfather to Naruto. "But there's no sense moping over it. It's not like we can turn back time and undo the past. But in a sense, they're still here with us. They live on in our memories, and in the will they left behind." A smile spread across his face as he looked to the blond. "What we can do is try our best to make those who are no longer with us proud."

Naruto smiled at that.

"Right."

The Sannin was right about that. The blond looked to the sky as he remembered the Third Hokage, and the words of encouragement the man gave him. The current Hokage, Tsunade, also showed her faith in him by giving him the First's necklace. They believed in him, and that faith was yet another reason he had to fight to fulfill his dreams.

* * *

The next day, Naruto and Jiraiya looked down from a tall hill upon a fairly large village, a look of slight puzzlement and awe on the blonds' face, taking a step forward and shielding his eyes from the sun as he took in its unique sights.

Unlike almost every other village in the continents, and every one the blond had seen so far, the buildings, with a few exceptions, were in purely western in architecture.

"Wow… weird." Naruto said with a perplexed expression as he mentally compared the buildings before him all the ones he'd seen before. "Hey, Pervy Sage, what's up with this place?"

Jiraiya chuckled at his student's bafflement before saying, "It's certainly out of the ordinary, wouldn't you agree? The place was actually founded and built mostly by refugees from another continent, so it's not surprising it looks so different compared to what you'd see everywhere else."

"Refugees? What could have happened that was so bad that they ran from their entire continent?" Naruto asked, obviously curious.

Jiraiya's expression turned serious at that and he closed his eyes.

"Well, kid. My spy network doesn't exactly reach over there, but from what I understand things are pretty bad over there. We're lucky by comparison, with what we have to deal with." He turned to look at his student. "You see, according to my knowledge, the other continent is divided into several nations, like our own, but unlike the Elemental Nations those countries are constantly in flux because they're each ruled over by a different warlord. They're constantly battling with one other in an attempt to dominate the whole shebang, and most of them care little, if at all, for their subjects. The end result, poverty is rampant, rebellions are put down… hard, war is commonplace, even more so than here, and all too often civilians get dragged into the battle." With a shrug, he added, "Course, that always happens in war, but over there no one usually bothers trying to protect them. It's not surprising they'd try to leave and start anew elsewhere, those that can afford to anyway."

Naruto's face twisted in abhorrence at what he'd just heard. From what his sensei was saying, most of the continent lived like the people in Wave back when Gato was in charge. Worse even, as they didn't have to worry about war coming to their land.

He could definitely understand their reasoning. He'd considered running from Konoha a few times during his early youth to escape his suffering, a lot of Jinchuriki did, but he wouldn't because of his loyalty to those few who cared for him and the friends he had. Besides, either way the village was his home, even as a child he identified with it as his birthplace.

But this place… he could see why anyone not fortunate enough to have power would want to run from there.

As he thought on that, something Jiraiya had said struck him. He said they were lucky by comparison. Who wouldn't be compared to that? But… why'd he say that?

"Wait a minute, What'd you mean we're 'lucky by comparison'? What's wrong with the way things are now?"

Jiraiya gave a grunt as before saying, "That's right… you're still young. You've only begun to see the darker aspects of our profession… and you've never seen war."

"I'm sorry, excuse me." Naruto responded a bit caustically. "You may have forgotten, but we just got invaded by Suna. What'd you call that?"

He wasn't happy to be reminded of it, but from what he heard the Pervy Sage was trying to downplay what went down that day… all those people who were lost.

"You think that little skirmish was a war?" Jiraiya scoffed. "No, kid… war is much worse." Naruto was surprised to see a grim expression on his face. "You never paid much attention in history class, did you? War is much more terrifying than what you experienced. It lasts much longer… there are far more casualties, and things aren't as cut and dry as Orochimaru's invasion."

Though a little afraid of just what his response would be, with a slight sense trepidation, Naruto asked, "What'd you mean?"

Jiraiya crossed his arms and closed his eyes, his voice taking on a grim tone as he explained, "In a real war… both sides are fighting for what they believe is best for their people, which is how Orochimaru tricked Suna into aiding him. There's no real 'villain' behind it all from all perspectives, like during the invasion. From the very first battle, there are losses, but things don't just stop there. The loved ones of the fallen take up arms to avenge their comrades, and it becomes a battle for revenge. Facts get twisted by hate and opinion, things like 'who did what' and 'who started it all' are forgotten, and ultimately, both sides become little better than the other. Sometimes, we manage to overcome our old hatreds, like us and our pals in Suna, but in others it lingers. Take Iwa for example. We were actually allies early on, but something happened around the time of the First Shinobi World War, and whatever it was kicked off a deep grudge between our villages. We're still hostile to one another to this very day. Iwa's made several attempts to avenge the losses they suffered both in times of war and peace, and no one even remembers how it all began."

The Sannin gave a mirthless laugh.

"No, I take that back." He amended. "The current Tsuchikage, Onoki, has been around since the days of the First Hokage. He'd probably know where it got started. Good luck getting him to explain it to you though. Ever since the start formation of the hidden villages, there's been a war every few generations, and those fights continue on in a never-ending cycle. As you experienced in the invasion, it's not just adults that suffer, countless children die fighting these battles too. And that's not the only horror you'll see in war. You have entire villages that are razed to the ground, leaving any survivors with no home and sometimes they're the lucky ones, that is if there are any survivors at all. Worse off are those who wind up in a village occupied by an enemy nation. If they don't bow down and switch allegiances, examples will be made of them, people killed until they all finally give up, and even that's not as bad as what can happen to prisoners of war. Not to mention the fact that, with resources stretched thin, a lot of villages are left with little, if any, protection, leaving them at the mercy of bandits, slave traders and wanna-be tyrants, like that Gato you helped take care of."

With a shake of his head, he continued. "It can bring out the best in people, when they give their all to protect what they love, but it can also bring out the worst. There are people who sell equipment and intel, sometimes false information, to both sides, prolonging the wars as long as possible to make a profit without care for who gets hurt in the process. Some let their hatred get the better of them, sinking to levels they never would have otherwise to cause as much pain as they can, and some are simply depraved to begin with, and war lets them act out their worst fantasies This can lead to cold blooded torture, not for information but payback, or worse, rape. And sometimes… if one side gets their hands on something that they think might give them an edge… they might test it on genin from the other side, or on the people of an occupied village." He turned, his steely gaze falling on his student as he concluded, "What we have now is a vast improvement over what came before, but still… wars are all to frequent. Often, it ends in a stalemate and many of the fallen die for no real reason. More often then not, war becomes a horror that steals everything from everyone involved."

"That's…" Naruto began, clearly shocked at what he was hearing and almost unable to form his thoughts into words. He'd always thought of the positives of being a ninja, of being a hero and being respected by everyone and all the awesome things they were capable of.

This was the first time he'd considered what was wrong with the shinobi world, because until now he'd only experienced brief glimpses into its darker side. Beyond protecting his comrades and being a hero, he'd never thought of what war would be like. It didn't shake his resolve to stick to this profession, he wanted more than anything to protect his friends and his home and he'd already known how they had been risking their lives but… was all this fighting… all this death… really endless?

Jiraiya looked at him with an unreadable expression, knowing the still naïve boy needed a wake up call. He'd seen loss and suffering, but he'd yet to realize just how dark their world could be.

"That's awful… Are you saying that… that's all there is for us? And everyone just accepts this? Why hasn't anyone tried to change it?"

Jiraiya shrugged.

"People have tried… Kami knows I have. But so far, hate and mistrust usually comes out on top. But then… there are times like the invasion. Ever since then, the relationship between us and Suna has been closer than ever, aside from a few individuals. Maybe it's a sign things are changing." He turned to Naruto with a smile. "Course, it could just be because we had a common enemy."

"But then… how can we stop it?" Naruto began before his expression became more determined. "I… I can't believe that there's no way to put a stop to this. I can't just stand by and do nothing while all this stupid fighting continues!"

Jiraiya closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side.

"Like I said kid, many have tried. Even the First and Fourth Hokage held that same lofty goal of breaking the cycle, but neither managed to pull it off. What makes you think you can?"

"… I don't know…" Naruto admitted with a troubled expression. "But that doesn't mean I'm just going to stand by and let it go on." With conviction, Naruto stated, and with conviction he added, "When I become Hokage, I'll do everything I can to end it. Just tell me where to start."

The toad Sannin made no response to Naruto's declaration, instead simply scrutinizing the boy. After a moment, Jiraiya smiled again.

"That's what I wanted to hear. Problem is… I have no idea." Seeing Naruto's slightly disappointed look, he continued, "Like I said, I've tried hard to bring peace to the world, as did the Fourth and the First before him. I'll keep trying… and if I don't, then the task falls on your shoulders as my apprentice. You ready for that?"

With a confident grin, Naruto replied, "You know it, Pervy Sage."

Jiraiya chuckled, "Well, glad you're so enthusiastic about it." He took a few steps forward and gestured for Naruto to follow. "Come on, we've spent enough time musing on this hill. Let's go."

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Konoha, Tsunade sat behind her desk, resting her head on her knuckles as she glared down, annoyance and thinly veiled hatred clear on her features, at the greatest enemy of the day. The bane of Kage's everywhere. A never ending enemy which insured that they had little time to enjoy life's little pleasures.

Paperwork.

Briefly considering reaching for her hidden stash of sake, she sighed as she took the top piece of paper off the rather large pile, grudgingly picked up her pen, and got back to work. Sometimes, she wondered why she let herself get talked into taking up the mantle.

Of course, it only took looking out the window, seeing the people bustling about or the faces of the Hokage carved into the mountain wall, to which her own face would soon be added, or thinking of her former lover, her younger brother, or a certain blond brat to remind herself why she took the position.

As she returned to her papers began writing, she heard a tap at the window. Turning her head, she was mildly surprised to see a red messenger toad covered in black markings in a red vest with a scroll strapped to its back, waving at her.

Getting up and walking over to the toad, she opened the window, allowing it to jump in.

"One of Jiraiya's messenger toads…" Tsunade mused, raising an eyebrow at the toad before moving back to her desk. "So, what's the pervert want?"

"Hey, well that's a fine 'how do ya do'!" The toad complained. "Don't I even get a hello?"

Tsunade sighed as she sat down, raising her hand to her head. She was actually a little happy to see the small amphibian; after all it gave her a reason to take a break from the paperwork. However, she was still not in a particularly good mood at the moment.

"I'm not in the mood to chat today, so if you have a message from Jiraiya just give it to me." Tsunade said with an exhausted tone as the toad leapt onto the table before her.

"Geez, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. And it looks like she didn't get much beauty sleep either." The toad sneered back at the woman without a trace of concern. However, he immediately regretted this when the woman growled, an angry tick mark appearing on her forehead, and shot out of her chair with a deep frown on her face.

The toad, in a mild state of panic, quickly brought his hands up in a placating gesture.

"Sorry, sorry! Look, here's the message." He quickly reached around his back and pulled off the scroll.

Tsunade snatched it from the toad and, after throwing a glare his way, unrolled and began to read.

_Hey, Tsunade._

_How're things hanging? Hope you're not buried under a mountain of paperwork, it'd be a crime to cover up that beautiful bosom from the world._

Tsunade's eye twitched and she resisted the urge to tear the paper to shreds right there.

_Things are looking up on my end. We've had no trouble so far and I've had an amazing idea. Why not put the brat's unending chakra supply to good use? By combining that with the Shadow Clone Jutsu, he can improve by leaps and bounds. He's been doing so for the past week, and the results have been amazing. At this rate, I'll wind up being the sensei of two Hokage!_

Tsunade's brows shot up at that, her mind quickly working out the possibilities. She couldn't help but smile. She really chose a good person to bequeath her grandfather's necklace too. Actually, thinking about it, she saw a lot of him in Naruto. If the boy were smarter… and had an addiction to gambling… he'd almost be his spitting image in personality.

Putting that thought aside, she returned to the note.

_Maybe if I do, you'll see fit to come up with some special way to congratulate me!_

Tsunade's eye twitched again, almost able to hear her perverted teammate's laughter.

_Anyway, I didn't send this just to give you a progress report. There are a few things I need. I didn't originally plan to teach him elemental jutsu, but I've had second thoughts on that. So, I'm gonna need some chakra paper, and some other supplies I've written down. Have someone gather them up and put it all on my tab. Also, I've got something I want to run by you…_

* * *

Jiraiya chuckled as he looked down at his student, who lay on the ground before him on his back, panting from exhaustion. Once more, the Sannin's physical training had completely burned out the boy's seemingly boundless stores of energy; the only sign of what he'd been doing was a boulder roughly the same size as his body lying on the ground beside him. The Sannin found it somewhat amusing to put the young teen through his paces.

Really, that was half the fun of teaching genin, aside from the familial bonds that so often formed of course. One half was in seeing them succeed, and the other in making them push themselves to their limit and seeing them comically fail.

Recalling his messenger toad and that it had had enough time to get what he needed, he decided now was as good a time as any call it back.

Taking a few steps away, he formed the hand signs for the technique, drawing Naruto's attention, and raised his hand.

"Summoning Jutsu!" He slammed his palm to the ground and, with a poof of smoke, his messenger toad appeared.

"Yo, boss man. Took you long enough to call me back." The toad greeted.

"Sorry about that, Gamatsukai. You got what I asked for?" Jiraiya replied.

The toad reached around his back and picked off the scroll, extending it towards the Sannin while Naruto watched curiously. "Yep, everything you asked for."

"Thanks." Jiraiya said as he took the scroll, turning his gaze to it after the toad returned to his home in another burst of smoke. Naruto stepped up to his sensei as he unrolled the message.

"What was all that about, Pervy Sage?" Naruto asked as he looked at the message, wondering what the contents of the message were.

Jiraiya simply chuckled.

"Oh, it's just the ok for an idea I had. Now…" Jiraiya said turning the paper around and placing it on the ground, causing Naruto to frown in confusion until he saw a seal engraved on the back of the letter.

Kneeling down and making a single hand seal, Jiraiya released the seal, three large cloth bags to appear before him.

"What ya got there, Pervy Sage?" Naruto asked, taking a step forward and looking at the bags curiously.

"Don't worry about it kid, nothing you'll need to think about until much later." Jiraiya replied as he searched through the bags, eventually locating a packet. "Now, this, on the other hand, your going to like."

Those words piqued Naruto's interest. He watched as Jiraiya opened the envelope and pulled out a small slip of paper. "What's that, Pervy Sage?"

"I'm glad you asked." Jiraiya replied with a wide grin as he held up the sheet after pocketing the remaining ones. "This, Naruto, is chakra paper. It's a very valuable tool we use to discern one's nature affinity."

"Really?" Naruto asked excitedly, his hands balling up in anticipation. "How's it work?"

"It's simple. All you have to do is channel your chakra into it and the paper will react to it. This reaction shows what your affinity is. If you have an affinity for the fire element, then the paper will singe." Jiraiya explained. "If your element's water, then it'll get soggy. Lightning and it'll wrinkle, wind and it'll split in half and with earth, it'll crumble to dust. Now, knock yourself out. We're still a ways off from starting your elemental training, but it couldn't hurt to know."

With that, he handed the boy the piece of paper. Naruto eagerly took it and immediately began channeling his chakra into the small it. It only took a second to get a response.

The two watched as a cut appeared right down the middle of the small sheet and it fell into pieces.

"Well, what do you know?" Jiraiya commented. "The wind nature's pretty rare outside of Suna."

"Wind huh?" Naruto asked as he stared at the sheet, memories of the chunin exam flashing into his mind. He recalled seeing Temari fight, watching how she manipulated the wind and air currents to create and control tornados and produce punishing walls of wind.

His face once more brightening up as an excited gleam shined in his eyes, Naruto inquired, "What can you tell me about it?"

"Hn. Well, I'm pretty sure you already saw quite a bit of it during the exam." Jiraiya commented. "You can manipulate the wind and air in various ways, creating powerful blunt force attacks, blades of wind, drilling air currents… your manipulating the air itself. The sky's the limit, kid. It's also particularly effective in that it's one of the only elements that can counter its vulnerability."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, raising a brow.

"All the elements are at a disadvantage when faced with another. For example, I shouldn't have to tell you what happens when water meets fire, but for another example, water is soaked up by the earth and due to its fluidity, it's not often effective against the hard stone defenses produced by the earth element. Wind disperses lightning, rendering it ineffective, but because oxygen feeds fires and wind fans it, if you tried to counter a fire attack with a wind jutsu, you'd just wind up with a stronger attack coming your way."

Seeing Naruto frown as he considered this, he continued, closing his eyes and bringing his hand up in an explanatory gesture. "However, certain jutsu, or a powerful enough attack, can overwhelm such vulnerabilities. For example, water at certain levels of pressure can cut through a lot of the earth techniques out there. If it's too much stronger, lightning can pierce wind jutsu. Thing about wind techniques though, is that they can be used to create vacuums." The Sannin said, getting to the crux of his explanation. "Because neither lightning nor fire can exist in a vacuum, vacuum based wind techniques can completely shut down both elements." He opened his eyes and looked down at the boy, who was amazed at what he'd just learned. "That being said, vacuum based techniques are of the highest order of wind jutsu. Not many manage to master them."

"Oh yeah? Well just you wait, Pervy Sage. I'll have it down in no time." Naruto said, very enthusiastic about the wind element now. After all, this could completely trump both of Sasuke's elements, giving him a major advantage over his fallen rival.

Jiraiya chuckled. "I think you're underestimating what's ahead of you. Don't think this'll be easy just because you've got an affinity for it."

"Heh," Was all Naruto responded as he grinned confidently before he remembered the letter. "So, what was that idea you were talking about, Pervy Sage?"

Letting out another chuckle, Jiraiya crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

"Let me ask you something. What do you think all your old friends are doing back in Konoha right now?"

Naruto blinked in confusion at the question before shrugging.

"I don't know. I guess they're training, going on missions, the usual. Why?"

"Simple, while your with me, you're not getting any experience in the field. Do you think your former classmates are all just going to stand still? Chances are, by the time we get back, you'll be the only one who's still a genin." Jiraiya had to resist the urge to laugh out loud at his student's horrified expression. "Which is why I decided to ask Tsunade to kick a few missions our way. If you've already participated in the exams once, and you've got a ninja of high enough standing backing you, like yours truly, you can be promoted as long as you're record's up to par."

"You mean I could be promoted to chunin as soon as I get back?" Naruto asked eagerly.

Laughing at the boy's enthusiasm, Jiraiya responded, "Kid, if I have any say in it, you'll be at least a special jonin material, if not full jonin, when we finally return to the village. And it just so happens Tsunade had a mission on hand when she read my letter."

"Really?"

Jiraiya nodded.

"Yep, we'll be heading out at dawn. It seems like a pretty easy job. We'll be guarding a caravan of peddlers from the Land of Vegetables, a simple C-rank mission, no sweat."

Of course, as the toad Sage would soon find out, things were rarely that simple when Naruto was involved.

* * *

**In case anyone's wondering, the western style continent mentioned in this chapter is Temujin's continent from the Legend of the Stone of Gelel movie.**

**Anyway, hope you liked the chapter. As always, please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, here we are at the beginning of the first real arc of the story. It's only three chapters long, and afterwards, Fuu will finally arrive on the scene. ****Now, without further ado, let's see how Naruto fares on his first mission after leaving Konoha, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Leaves rustled as a figure leapt from one tree to the next, moving from branch to branch at a speed that the untrained eye couldn't follow. The blur darted up to the treetops, coming to a halt at the highest possible spot to survey the landscape.

Leaning against the trunk of the tree, Naruto placed his free hand above his eyes, shielding them from the sun's rays, and let his gaze roam the countryside, in search of his soon to be charges. It didn't take him more than a moment to spot a dirt road off in the distance, though most of it was hidden behind a small cliff.

"Looks like this is the place." The blond said with a grin, excited to be going on a mission for the first time since he left the village over a month ago.

Once more bursting into motion, the young Jinchuriki quickly made his way to the path, coming to a stop on the limb of a tree hung over the road. His blue orbs searched the road, peering in the direction of the country that had hired him, and in short order he spied a group of people trudging down the otherwise deserted road, pushing along two carts.

Naruto's eager smile widened at the sight, thinking of all the stories he'd have to brag about once he returned to Konoha. He could hardly imagine the looks on the faces of the other members of the Konoha 11 when they learned of his exploits. That being said, this mission sounded pretty boring. According to the message, all he'd have to do is guard this group of merchants as they made their way out of the Land of Vegetables and to the Land of Honey. A simple, if dull job, though the blond did find it slightly odd that he was meeting them. Rather than wait for their escort, they'd set up a rendezvous point, telling him where and when they should be passing at a certain point and requesting he find them there. He dismissed this thought though, thinking they were just in a hurry.

His almost boundless energy and enthusiasm held strong, despite the easy task. A mission was a mission and he was not about to screw up the first one he ever did on his own. He knew enough to know that his grandmother figure, Tsunade was putting a lot of faith in him by letting him go on missions alone and he wasn't about to let her or the Pervy Sage down, even without said man stressing the point before he went off to kami knows where.

A brief flicker of annoyance flashed through his mind as he recalled that his teacher had left him on his own, AGAIN, and was probably out spying on some hot spring somewhere. Sure, it was something of an ego booster that he was trusted to take on a job alone, but his sensei's antics still irritated him to no end.

As the he grew closer to the merchants, he and called out, "Hey! Are you guys coming from the Land of Vegetables?"

This alerted the caravan to his presence and the group came to a stop as Naruto leapt out of a tree and landed before them. Two of the merchants ran forward to meet him, both of average height and build with tan skin, black hair and matching coal colored eyes. The pair resembled one another enough to pass for siblings. Then again, to Naruto's knowledge they could very well be brothers.

One was slightly shorter than his companion and wore a gray coat with orange lining that went down to just below his knees, light green pants and tan work boots, along with a brown hat on his head.

The other peddler had a slightly narrower face with prominent cheekbones and thinner eyelashes than his brown clad counterpart. He wore a light blue shirt with an ice blue hat, white pants with blue lining and brown shoes and kept his hair tied in a short ponytail.

"Yes, but who are you?" the blue wearing man replied.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I was sent by Konoha to help you guys out and protect you." Naruto replied with his usual fox-like grin, reaching his hand up and flashing his head band, since they hadn't identified him as a ninja of Konoha.

"Lady Hokage only sent one genin?" The man in brown asked with an almost incredulous tone, a deep frown marring his face and a look of slight disappointment in his eyes, while his ponytailed friend schooled his features. It was they who'd contacted Konoha for protection. While it was true, they had only paid for a C-rank mission, they had expected a team of genin, hopefully accompanied by a jonin escort.

It was a method many used to game the system, and one Naruto himself had actually encountered before. Can't pay for a B-rank mission, assuring chunin level support, or higher? File the mission under D or C-rank and you're almost sure to get one experienced jonin accompanied by three young genin, just hope that they don't abandon you for lying should they find out the truth. Never mind that the students probably weren't ready to handle whatever it was you were facing and were likely to wind up seriously injured, or worse. Sometimes, sacrifices were a necessary part of life.

However, what they had apparently gotten instead of the expected team was a single genin. Not exactly the most comforting of guardians.

"Don't worry; I'm a pretty big name back in Konoha. I can handle anything we come across." Naruto boasted as he pointed to himself with his thumb, confidence practically oozing from his form… though it did little to reassure the two standing before him and it showed on their faces. He then rubbed his hands together, anxious to get started. "We've got quite a ways to go, don't we? So let's get moving!"

While the fact that they were only being guarded by a single genin was hardly reassuring, many of the group smiled at his enthusiasm. "True." The man wearing blue replied. "Let me introduce myself, I'm Kikuske, this…" he gestured to his brown clad companion, "… is Yurinoshi, and…" Both of them turned to face a shorter man who bore a stern, guarded expression. "… this is Shun. We'd appreciate your help pushing these carts."

Naruto briefly observed Shun, finding something odd about young man. He seemed to be quite thin, almost effeminate though it was a bit difficult to tell with the loose cloths he was wearing, and had fair skin and brown hair that fell in two thin bands that framed his face, which seemed constantly set in a severe expression with a frown and his mouth pressed in a thin line, and amethyst eyes that seemed to radiate cold indifference. He wore an aquamarine shirt under a brown vest with grey pants, a brown sash around his waist and a tan colored hat.

Ignoring the cold looking boy and eager to show off, Naruto replied. "No problem. That's why you guys have nothing to worry about." He made a familiar, cross shaped hand sign. "I'm a one man army!"

In a large poof of smoke, ten duplicates of the blond appeared, causing many of the merchants to blink in surprise, most having had little experience with ninja. Kikuske and Yurinoshi's eyes widened slightly at the sight.

"Wow." The only child in the group, a little girl with brown hair tied with a red ribbon that went just below her neck, breathed in wonderment before focusing on the real Naruto with a wide smile. "Amazing, can all ninja do things like this?"

"Nope. Most can't make them like I can." Naruto replied, closing his eyes and chest puffed out in pride at the girl's admiration.

Shun gave a slight huff as he turned away, mild contempt in his eyes as he stated, "Well, at least you aren't completely useless."

Naruto and his clone's heads immediately jerked to his direction, glaring lightly as he raised a fist and shot back, "What was that? Who're you calling useless?"

Kikuske stepped between them and held his hands up in a placating gesture while giving the teen an apologetic smile.

"I apologize. Shun's had a pretty rough life and he's always tense because of it. Please don't take anything he says personally."

Naruto's glare lingered on the effeminate boy for a few moments as an almost inaudible growl escaped his throat. What was this guy's problem? Sure, if he was being honest with himself, having one genin as an escort was probably a bit underwhelming, but that was no reason to be a jerk about it!

He shrugged, placing his hands behind his head and putting his rude charge out of his mind.

"Well, let's get this show on the road, we're burning daylight."

In short order, the clones were scattered amongst the group, aiding the peddlers in pushing their carts while Naruto walked at the side of the group and Shun, who apparently had a weak constitution, trailed behind it. With the aid of the clones, the peddlers had a much easier time and the convoy moved onwards at a leisurely pace.

Unseen to Naruto and all of the merchants, a translucent shape, completely unnoticeable when still, shifted, making the camouflaged figure perceptible for a brief moment. Jiraiya of the Sannin, using his own original technique, the Transparency Escape Technique, watched as his student performed his first solo mission, a slight smirk spread across his face.

He'd told his hyperactive student that he had business elsewhere and he would therefore have to take care of this himself. He stressed that, even if it was only a C-rank, a solo mission was a big responsibility, and sent the boy on his way. In reality, he'd planned to watch and see how the boy would perform without supervision. This seemed like the perfect chance, not only to observe how he handled himself, but also if his lessons had made any impact.

Soon enough he took off after his young student. He could tell there was something up, that guy Shun wasn't what he said he was, and there were definitely some things here that sent off alarm bells.

If they were really worried about the usual threats such a caravan would face, such as bandits for example, they should have waited back at their starting point. They wouldn't have told him to meet them on the road and especially not when they were already so far in their journey that they just passed the border This likely meant they were either in a hurry to get somewhere, and there were few reasons for a group of peddlers to want to get somewhere that quickly… or they were trying to get away from something. That and the odd trio that was Shun, Kikuske and Yurinoshi roused his suspicions, but ultimately he wasn't worried.

After all, what was the worst that could happen on this kind of mission? Though he was curious about the three peddlers, what were the odds that they were on the run from something that dangerous? There was almost no chance that he would run into any actual peril escorting a simple group of peddlers.

* * *

At that very moment, Murphy's Law was working to prove the toad Sannin wrong.

Built amidst trees and a beautiful sea of yellow flowers, whose stalks swayed like ripples in a pond as a calm, warm breeze blew across the land, was the capital of the Land of Vegetables. The buildings of the city were scattered around a massive hill, also completely covered in flowers, constructed in such a manner that they didn't take away from the natural aesthetics of the area. Standing proudly on the hill's plateau, looking down on village, was the daimyo's castle. All in all, a truly idyllic place to live.

However, the natural beauty of the area was tarnished by the black smoke billowing from the castle. If you looked closely, one could just barely make out flickers of flame at the base of the smog, making it clear that something was afoot. The smoke was meant to be a signal, one that was being read loud and clear by the orchestrators of the events poised to unfold.

Standing on the branch of the branches of a tree at the very edge of the field of flowers stood three men, obviously ninja; one down on one knee, one sitting with his legs crossed and one leaning against the trunk.

All three had matching amber eyes, the unusual color revealing that they were siblings, and were similarly dressed and had the same hair style; grown long, trailing halfway down their backs, though each had their own personal touch to their attire. The trio wore a dark blue, sleeveless vest together with matching fingerless gloves that went past their elbows, lightly colored pants of various shades and facial markings.

The kneeling sibling had purple hair and blue colored tear shaped tattoos under his eyes along with a triangle shapes mark on his chin, the point touching the center of his lip. He had a cloth wrapped around his waist by a sash that covered the sides and back of his legs and trailed down almost to his feet and beige pants.

The sitting ninja was a large man, possessing considerable bulk, both in fat and muscle. He had dark gray hair and a pair of crescent shaped red marks, partially hidden behind his hair, under each eye. He had a large nose and the only unique aspect of his clothing was the yellow sash around his waist and light gray pants.

The final brother stood slightly taller than his siblings. He had brown hair and had three purple marks shaped like long, thin triangles on his cheeks and forehead, all pointing to the center of his face. He wore a purple, high collar vest with red lining over his uniform and white pants.

On the surrounding trees were their subordinates, all wearing the same uniforms of them, along with cloth masks, in some cases full face masks, in other's rags covering their mouths, and still others wearing traditional masks similar to Kakashi's.

"All the pieces are in place and ready to go." The purple clad sibling, the eldest of the three, stated as the trio surveyed the land, each wearing a cool grin, even as they prepared to unleash chaos upon the peaceful nation.

"So, this is the Land of Vegetables you told us about, brother?" The heavy set man stated, crossing his arms as his eyes scanned the land.

"Well, it doesn't look like much, but I suppose it's a stepping stone to greater things." The purple haired rogue said.

"Half the village officials have been bought and paid for. At our signal, the castle will be overthrown from within." The oldest sibling stated before turning to look at his younger brothers. "From this day forward, we'll be this country's daimyo's."

"Daimyo's." The largest of the three said as if testing the word out, imagining his future station.

"I like the sound of that." The purple haired man chuckled.

The three turned their gazes back to the castle, surveying the land which, in their minds, already belonged to them, as their men awaited their order. In just a few moments, they'd turn this entire country on its head. They took a few moments of silence as they thought about all that await them.

* * *

Naruto looked up to the sky, a smile plastered on his face as the midday sun shined down at the path, the convoy trudging on at a steady pace. With the aid of the clones, they were making far better time than the merchants had expected and so far, there had been no trouble. Reaching into his pouch, he pulled out his canteen and brought to his mouth. Taking a quick swig of water, he savored the feeling of the cool liquid going down his throat.

Kikuske stood beside him, allowing Yurinoshi and the three clones aiding him to push their cart while he took a break to get a drink of his own.

'_It's water, I suppose. But it's not as sweet as that of the Land of Vegetables…_' He thought to himself as he looked at his canteen with a look of slight disappointment and nostalgia as he recalled that land before shaking it off. It'd be a long time before he returned to that country.

"So, I bet you guys have been to all kinds of places over the years, huh?" Naruto asked as he turned to look at the blue clad merchant, who looked down at their young guardian. "You must have seen some interesting stuff. What countries rate the best in your book?"

"Oh, well, to be honest, the Land of Vegetables is my favorite. Few other countries value peace as much as the people those living in that country, and no where do they live in such harmony with nature, nor a place where the water is as sweet." The merchant replied before tilting his head slightly, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "But I could say the same about you. You must be quite the ninja since they're allowing you to perform a mission, even one as simple as this, at so young an age. Have you not been to many places as well?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, giving the man a sheepish smile as he replied, "Well, I have seen to some pretty amazing things, but I actually haven't been a ninja all that long." He averted his gaze, looking to the side and to the ground. "To be honest, the only reason I'm on this mission on my own is because there wasn't anyone helping me."

Kikuske's head jerked back, his eyes widening minutely at the admission. "What do you mean? I had heard that Konoha endured many losses during that affair a few months ago. Did they really suffer that many losses?"

"You mean the invasion?" Naruto questioned, his expression darkening slightly. "No, there's no one to help me because I haven't been back to the village in over a month." Seeing the curious look from Kikuske, Naruto elaborated, "Right now, I'm on this training trip with my sensei, so it's just the two of us. A few weeks ago he asked Grandma Tsunade to send a few missions our way, said I needed experience in the field."

"Ah," The merchant replied in understanding, though he noted the blonds' rather disrespectful nickname for the Hokage. '_They must be close…_' He noted. "But if that's the case, shouldn't your sensei be with you?"

"Probably." Naruto replied, becoming slightly irritable at the reminder of his sensei being off who knows where doing who knows what. His brow furrowed. "But he's not. Said it'd be good for me to take a few jobs on my own. I think the old perv just wanted an excuse to go goof off again."

The peddler seemed a little let down to hear that. Certainly, finding out his guards sensei was so apparently unreliable wasn't exactly a confidence booster. "I'm sorry to hear that."

The young Jinchuriki shrugged, his grin returning as his eyes squinted to resemble a fox's.

"Eh, it's not a problem. He's actually a pretty good sensei when he's actually doing his job."

"May I ask who your teacher is?" The merchant asked with mild curiosity.

Turning his head to look at him, Naruto replied, "None other than Jiraiya of the Sannin!" Seeing Kikuske take on a look of shock, he questioned, "Heard of him?"

Schooling his features, Kikuske nodded, "Indeed I have, though only in passing." He replied with a smile, the knowledge that their guard was a student of one of the Sannin returning some small measure of assurance to him. "You're very fortunate to have such a renowned shinobi as a teacher."

"Tell me about it! We're going to spend the next three years focused on my training and I've already done some incredible things since I became a ninja. You're looking at the next Hokage!"

"You want to be Hokage?" The peddler asked. "That's quite a lofty goal. I hope you don't mind me asking, why do you want to the title?"

Naruto scratched his cheek in slight embarrassment at the question, recalling what his answer would have been less than a year ago. Now that he knew what he did and been through what he had, even he had to admit that wanting to be Hokage for the acknowledgement alone was childish. Oh, he still wanted to be Hokage so everyone would recognize him as the best of the best, but now there were other reasons.

"Well… before, I just wanted everyone know I was the best of the best, but now I want to protect my village and everyone in it." Naruto said, thinking back to what he'd felt when he fought against Gaara. Now granted, he hadn't exactly forgiven the people who had mistreated him just for being a Jinchuriki, but his loyalty to the village trumped his ill sentiments for them. "And that's not all. I want to do something about the way things are now."

"What do you mean?"

"… Don't you think it's wrong, how there are so many wars, or how often kids even younger than me wind up dying because of all the fighting that never seems to end? I want to change things, to bring an end to all of that. I mean, I don't know how yet, but…" He turned to him and gave him a wide grin. "If no one tries, how can you expect anything to ever change?"

Kikuske smiled. "That's a very admirable goal. I understand your late Hokage worked towards a similar goal."

Naruto's eyes fell back to the grown at that, his expression becoming somber. "Yeah, he did… He was like a grandfather to me."

"So you're carrying on his wishes?"

The blond Uzumaki closed his eyes before shrugging. "Guess I am. I mean, we both want the same things: to protect Konoha and the peace we live in."

"In that case, he was a fool." A new voice cut through their conversation. Naruto glared as Kikuske's expression turned neutral as both looked to the back of Shun, the source of the scathing remark. "Working towards peace… what a joke. What he did was take the peace for granted and grew complacent. What you're talking about requires you to trust the leaders of other nations. In this world we live in, it's absurd to think that you can take anything anyone says at face value. One can never truly know what other people think, and thus all that kind of thinking does is leave you open to betrayal."

"What was that?" Naruto grit his teeth and shot forward, grabbing Shun by the sleeve and forcing him to face him, staring into his eyes fiercely, he growled, "Listen up because I'm only going to say this once. I won't stand by and let anyone badmouth the Hokage, got it?"

Around them, the caravan came to a halt as everyone turned to watch the exchange. Having heard the whole affair, the merchants couldn't help but take Naruto's side. "Granny says you shouldn't speak ill of the dead." The little girl Momiji, said from her perch at the top of the front cart.

"She's right, you know." Said old woman said as she took a step towards them, hoping to diffuse the situation. "From what I understand, the Third Hokage was a great leader. You shouldn't look down on him for trusting others for the sake of peace."

"Hmph." Shun responded, yanking his hand away from Naruto's. "And how precisely did putting his trust in others turn out for him? That's right, his village was betrayed by his so called allies and he wound up dying protecting his people from his own mistakes." With that, having said his piece, Shun resumed walking.

Naruto glared at Shun, gritting her teeth while restraining himself, recalling his first jonin sensei, Kakashi's words. '_You can't demolish a client, Naruto. It doesn't work that way._' But it was so hard. While he had more control over himself than he once did, he still couldn't stand to hear someone speak ill of his late grandfather figure.

Using all his will power to hold his tongue so that he didn't start a fight with one of his charges, Naruto huffed as the caravan continued moving.

* * *

At that moment, two figures were rushing through the trees, moving with the speed and swiftness of an experienced shinobi, making nary a sound as they rapidly closed the distance between themselves and the convoy Naruto was guarding.

Catching a brief glimpse of it far down the road, they went deeper into the forest that framed both sides of the path, their mission clear in their minds: find and eliminate the target, and anyone else they happened to encounter.

Unbeknownst to them, as soon as they were out of hearing distance, an unassuming rock burst into smoke.

* * *

Naruto and all his doppelganger's tensed slightly, ready to move at any moment, their eyes hardening as memories hit them. Two unknown shinobi were closing in on the caravan… and from the looks of it, they weren't just going to pass them by.

Out of site of his charges, the blond had created a series of clones and had them transform into boulders, routinely maintaining a set distance from the caravan to alert him and his clones of any approaching threats. One might applaud the boy for his clever use of his gifts…

In reality, he'd just wanted to make the most use of the trick he'd just learned, like a child with a shiny new toy he just had to play with. However, who cared about the reason? Either way, he now knew that someone was targeting them, and from the looks of it, would probably soon attack.

Unnoticed by the blond and his replicas, Kikuske and Yurinoshi's eyes also hardened as they scrutinized their surroundings.

Suddenly, Naruto and his doppelgangers sprang into action as a hail of kunai rained down on the group from the trees on both sides of the road, each pulling out kunai or shuriken of their own.

Naruto quickly drew a kunai from his pouch and held in a reverse grip. He shot forward and blocked three shuriken that nearly impaled Shun through the back, the thin man swerving around with wide eyes and taking in a sharp breath when the sound of metal meeting metal reached his ears.

All around the convoy, Naruto's clones either mirrored their creator's actions or threw weapons of their own, deflecting some of the attacks or retaliating, causing two blue clad, masked ninja to jump out of the trees, each drawing a guard-less kodachi. The merchants, letting out shocked cries, quickly rushed to the carts, one of the adults grabbing Momiji as he moved, and hid under them, as did Shun, Kikuske and Yurinoshi.

Without a word, and giving no chance for their quarry to voice the question on his mind, both shot forward, both one going after the real Naruto while the other attempted to get around the clones and attack the peddlers. Naruto blocked the blade with his kunai, but the nameless assassin pressed the attack. The clang of metal clashing against metal echoed through the clearing as the blond was pushed back, but the assailant leapt into the air when three clones threw more shuriken his way.

The other attacker, finding his attack deflected, bolted away, with four clones in pursuit. He kicked off the ground, bounded off a tree and into the air, turning and throwing another round of shuriken at the duplicates on the ground, all of which were blocked and three of the clones jumped into the air, each brandishing weapons of their own as they closed the distance.

He blocked a slash from the first clone and slammed his knee into its chest, destroying it. With a twist of his body, he lashed out with a spinning kick and powerful slash, dispersing the two remaining clones.

As he landed on the ground, he saw the fourth clone was now brandishing an unfolded Fuma Shuriken.

"Try this on for size!" The blond doppelganger yelled as he threw the weapon. It could actually be heard cutting through the air as it spun to quickly that it appeared to the naked eye as a solid, transparent disc.

The assailant let out a grunt, one could almost hear the smirk through his voice, as he quickly jumped slightly and stabbed his blade down just as the weapon closed in on him, impaling the weapon through its hollow center and landing on the blade in a crouch with the soles of his feet pressed against either side of its handle.

His eyes widened as a second one emerged from the shadow of the first, angled upward and closing in on him rapidly, poised to slice him in half.

Seeing that death was imminent if he didn't move and unwilling to relinquish his blade, the assailant jerked his entire body, he took to the air once more, tearing his sword out of the ground. However, just as the weapon reached where he'd been just a moment ago, both weapons erupted into smoke.

"What?" He voiced his shock, the first word the assailants had spoken since they appeared. Out of the cloud, two clones leapt into the air after him.

At the moment, his back was facing them with his head turned around to look at his opponents. He had no time to complete his motion before his attackers were upon him, two of the remaining clones right on their heels.

The first two clones were soon upon him, the first pushing as much chakra into it as it could as the other held a kunai. He couldn't turn around quickly enough to ward off their attacks and could only brace himself for the inevitable. The kunai wielding clone reached him first and drove his weapon into his shoulder. He winced as he felt the weapon dig into him and felt his uniform grow warm from the blood.

He remained helpless as the other clone reached him and could only watch out of the corner of his eye as it punched him in the jaw, disorienting him and leaving him at their mercy as the second set of doppelgangers joined in and forcing him to turn and face them.

The clones threw punches and kicks into his stomach, chest and face, pummeling him senseless before gravity took hold and pulled them back to the ground. One clone flipped and delivered an axe kick to the back of his head, sending him crashing to the ground with enough force to send out a cloud of debris.

The other attacker's eyes widened in shock when he saw his partner go down, unable to believe a simple child was pushing them back.

His eyes narrowed as he saw Naruto make another hand sign. A poof of smoke erupted around the blond and the nameless ninja brought up his sword, preparing to counter the inevitable rush of clones.

His eyes widened however when three kunai flew out of the cloud. He leapt back to dodge, watching as they impaled the ground. His expression morphed into one of horror as he saw each kunai had an explosive note attached, each of which immediately caught fire.

He could do nothing as the weapons detonated, sending him flying back, hitting the dirt road and making a shallow trench as the force of the explosion pushed him along the ground. He winced as he felt the small stones on the ground dig into his skin, leaving ragged cuts along his back and the back of his arms. He could feel that being driven through the earth by the explosion had dislocated his shoulder.

Two Narutos leapt through the cloud the explosion created, letting out a battle cry as they reared their fists back, putting as much strength as they could into their fists.

The assailant leapt back and moved so quickly he became a blur to the naked eye, maneuvering around the battlefield and to his fallen comrade as he rose to up into a kneeling position.

"Ok, you jackasses." The real Naruto began as he took a step forward. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You ready to give up and tell me what the hell you're thinking attacking this caravan, or am I going to have to pound your ugly mugs into the dirt some more?"

The two looked at each other, seeing they were now wounded and at a big disadvantage. On top of that, the fact that the boy was using shadow clones the way he was without even looking winded suggested he had a freakish amount of chakra and could probably replace them as quickly as they fell. Chances were if things continued this way, they would lose.

That could have several outcomes, and none of them were pleasant. Either they'd be jailed, killed after being interrogated, by a kid no less, or perhaps worse… rescued.

Knowing what their bosses were like… what they would do to them if they found out they were beaten by one kid who probably wasn't even a chunin yet… in any other situation they would have shuddered.

For that very reason, they couldn't return even if they found their target. They'd never survive once their bosses discovered how they were driven off.

They couldn't run either. They knew too much. They'd be tracked down and killed if they didn't report back.

With all choices apparently ending in death, the two gripped their swords, one with both hands and the other with just one, not bothering to attempt the motion with his injured shoulder, and raised their swords above their chests, they blades pointed towards them.

Naruto and his clone's all wore expressions of shock as they realized what was about to happen, but all the blond could do was shout "Wait!" before they brought their blades down, plunging the blades through their stomachs, both grunting in pain as they sliced cleanly through their flesh.

Blood spilled out from the wounds as they used the last of their strength to wrench the blades free, coughing up more of the crimson liquid as one fell forward and the other to the side and the life sustaining fluid pooled around them.

Naruto's expression became a mask of shock as a few of his clones ran over to the dying shinobi as he wondered why they hadn't tried to run away. Couldn't they have gone back to their comrades for reinforcements? He didn't dwell on it for more than a few seconds, instead taking a breath and schooling his features before turning back to the merchants.

"Is it safe to come out?" Momiji asked, sticking her head out from under the cart with a slightly fearful expression, though one of the adults, with a chastising expression, quickly pulled her back.

Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, I think so."

Breathing sighs of relief, the peddlers climbed out of their hiding place. They grouped together, looking at the fallen assailants.

"Wow that was amazing." Momiji, who had never before seen a battle between ninja, said as she ran towards the real blond, who smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head at the praise.

"Why would two ninja attack us? What could we have that they'd want?" The elderly woman in the group asked.

"Beats me." Naruto replied with a shrug and a frown. "P- I mean, Jiraiya-sensei-" He corrected himself, remembering that said perverted ninja had stressed NOT to refer to him as such in front of a client as it would not breed confidence. "- told me once that sometimes missing-nin turn into bandits. Maybe these guys are just that."

"But… why would they kill themselves because they lost?" One of the men asked, looking worriedly at the two dead attackers.

"I don't know, but I think we need to speed things up." Naruto answered, and it was clear the entire caravan agreed.

Kikuske, Shun and Yurinoshi all shared secretive looks before Shun stepped forward. "Naruto, was it?" Shun began. Seeing the blond respond, he continued. "There should be a fork in the road up ahead. It might serve us to take the longer route. If we're being pursued, they might not be expecting it."

"Sounds good…" Naruto nodded before grinning as the proverbial light bulb went off. "Know what, that gives me an idea."

* * *

As the sun set over the Land of Vegetables, the three criminal siblings gathered together in the meeting room of the daimyo… _their_ meeting room. The brown haired lead sibling sat on the place of the daimyo, a pillow near the back of the room, leaning to the side on his right arm on two boxes and his left arm propped up on his leg while his brothers stood on either of his sides, facing him. Two decorative, but real swords sat on a rack behind him. The stout sibling had his arms crossed while the youngest, the tear marked man, stood in a relaxed pose. All three wearing satisfied smirks as they reviewed the rather eventful first day of their reign.

The coup had gone off without a hitch. The soldiers of the Land of Vegetables were all either dead or in hiding, the nobles who hadn't sided with them and the daimyo were all rotting in a mass grave behind the castle where it wouldn't mar their view as they looked out onto the land through the open shoji doors.

The yellow field, basking in the orange rays of twilight was relatively unscathed, though the village at the foot of the hill the castle rested on was still recovering from the battle. Smoke continued to billow up from small pockets of fires which the residents, their new subjects, were struggling to put out and save what they had left after the quick but devastating battle.

However, the grin faded from the grey haired sibling's face as his attention focused on what was on the floor before them: a several overturned chests, their contents, a few hundred gold coins, scattered across the floor. Though it was a small fortune, it was still a woefully small amount of money for a daimyo to have.

"Is this really all the treasure there is? What kind of a daimyo was that guy?" The heavy set sibling complained, looking at the coins with disgust for their former owner.

"Unfortunately, one too honest to line his own pockets. Though of course, that all changes starting right now." The eldest sibling responded from his sitting position. "More importantly, has there been any sign of the little lady?"

"Not yet, but those two we sent out to find her haven't returned." The bulky sibling responded. "Chances are, they were taken out by her guards, so we've got a pretty good guess what direction she's headed in."

"Just getting the girl's enough. If any of them get away, they might garner reinforcements from another land and come back." The oldest of the three responded. He closed his eyes, annoyed at this complication, though not truly concerned. "If only the sun were a little stronger, I would just melt the entire mountain range with my jutsu."

Pulling out a pair of tonfas that had been strapped to his back and spinning them in a gesture of eagerness, the youngest sibling chuckled, "Leave it to me."

The eldest sibling let out a laugh of his own as the sound of footsteps reverberated through the room. Soon enough, a small, fat man came up the staircase in near the end of the room. He was bald on the top of his head with his remaining hair tied in a short ponytail and had a thin mustache. He was wearing an expensive kimono and haori.

The short man kneeled before his new masters. "Excuse me, Lord Renga All the people who've sworn allegiance to you have gathered in the main hall."

His smirk fading, replaced with a look of seriousness, the now named Renga responded, "Good, we're very grateful. Without the help of turncoats such as yourself, we never would have been able to route the castle's defenses so easily." The traitor chuckled in response.

The gray haired sibling placed his hands on his hips as he turned back to the leader of the trio.

"Well brother what'd you say, should we head down and greet our new supporters?"

"You go on ahead, I'll handle things here." Renga responded as he watched his younger siblings head down the stairs.

Once the two were out of sight, the lead traitor rubbed his hands together greedily. "Now, as to the reward you promised…"

"Ah yes, the reward, of course." Renga replied with an appreciative smile. He waved his hand at the gold before him. "Go on ahead, take as much as you like."

Barely able to contain his excitement, he quickly replied, "You're so generous Lord Renga!" With that, he dived into the gold on his hands and knees and quickly began to stuff the glittering coins everywhere he could.

As the man continued to stuff his pockets and sleeves, Renga slowly rose to his feet, taking one of the swords behind him in his right hand as he watched the rotund little traitor take his ill gotten gains, feeling nothing but contempt as his mouth twisted into a sadistic smirk.

"Isn't funny how some people are so gullible and easy to deceive?"

"You can say that again, oh wise one." The advisor replied, not even willing to tear his eyes away from the money for even a moment. "Our lord was such a fool that he trusted us until the very end."

"Don't stuff too much into your pockets; you might sink the ferry carrying you across the waters of oblivion." The missing nin advised as his grin widened slightly. With a flick of his thumb, the blade unsheathed an inch, sending a metallic ring though the room. At those words and that sound, the man froze before looking up at his new master. "You're quite right, only a fool would trust the likes of you: a fat greedy weasel who's already betrayed one master."

He could hardly believe the stupidity of the man before him. Who would trust someone who betrayed his former leader for a little coin? Not that it mattered; the brothers didn't truly trust anyone. Everyone was just a tool to be used until they no longer had any value, and then tossed way like one ryo coins.

It was only smart. After all, no one could truly know what another person thinks.

"Y- You're joking, Lord Renga." He said, his breath hitching in terror.

"No, I'm afraid it's no joke." At that moment, screams of panic and agony and futile cries for mercy echoed out from the lower rooms.

Turning his head to stare after the sounds, the noble could only shiver as the sounds sent chills down his spine. "I- it can't be. You wanted me to gather the others just so you could…"

Renga slowly unsheathed his sword as the man, realizing his imminent demise, tried to crawl away, too terrified to even manage to climb to his feet as the rogue shinobi calmly approached, raising his blade above his head.

"You wanted your reward? Well here it is." With one swift strike, gold coins and blood spilled across the tatami mats on the floor.

* * *

About half an hour later, the caravan was continuing on its journey, now moving at a greater speed than before. Naruto had replaced the destroyed clones and occasionally sent out a few more to scout the surrounding area, keeping on the lookout in case those ninja had friends as they attempted to reach the next town before they found themselves attacked again.

While Naruto stood to the side of the group, Kikuske and Yurinoshi pushed the rear cart on their own, under the excuse of not wanting the blond to waste anymore energy in case they needed his protection again, and Shun stood to their side.

"There can no longer be any doubt, Yurinojo." Kikuske said, keeping his voice down so that only those two beside him could hear him. "They're definitely coming after us."

"Yes." Yurinoshi, revealed to be Yurinojo, responded.

"Stay with Lady Haruna." 'Kikuske' ordered.

"Why, what are you going to do?" Yurinojo looked at his partner out of the corner of his eyes.

"We can't wait for them to attack. There're too many people in the caravan to defend. The boy's countermeasures are good, but they may not be enough to give us the time to reach the next town. If I can find them first, there's a chance I can divert them, or slow them down." The blue clad man explained, his expression one of confidence and resolution.

"They say, there are three of them. Rogue ninja with unknown, powerful jutsu." Yurinojo cautioned.

"I know. But I'm confident that my jutsu will be more than a match for theirs."

"Very well then. Good luck, Kikunojo." 'Shun' responded.

"Thank you, Lady Haruna." With that, after making certain he wasn't being watched, Kikunojo disappeared with a body flicker, leaving Yurinojo and the now revealed to be Haruna alone to excuse his absence.

* * *

Kikunojo, now clad in shinobi clothing consisting of a blue, open flak jacket over a tan shirt and fishnet armor with a sword strapped to his back, bolted across the forest floor, searching for any enemies in hiding, keeping his senses open for any sign of the enemy.

'_I will protect Lady Haruna, with my life if need be._' He thought with conviction.

He knew very well that this could be his final mission, but for a ninja, that was always a possibility. But in this case, it was far more likely than usual. He had no idea what kind of ninjutsu their enemies used, but he knew that whatever they had at their disposal, it had been enough to topple their beloved home.

He had to do this. Not only for Lady Haruna, but to avenge what these arrogant bastards had done to the Land of Vegetables. For their fallen daimyo, for all the lives they'd ended and ruined on their egomaniacal conquest, he had to do something to bring them down.

"What the hell!?" A familiar voice called out from above, cutting through his thoughts. He stopped dead in his tracks and jerked in the direction the voice came from as one of the many clones Naruto sent out to scout the surrounding area leapt out of the tree, landing right before him in a crouch before bringing his head up and sending a furious glare his way.

He could hardly believe it. How could he not have sensed his presence? When he first laid eyes on the boy, he'd thought that, even considering how many shinobi wore bright, normally easily detected clothing, he had been the single most visible ninja he'd ever seen, not to mention that he could already tell he had a habit of being a loud mouth. Apparently, the boy had an act for stealth. Then again, his battle with those two assailants earlier should have told him there was more to him than meets the eye, but he'd thought his talents lied solely on the field of combat.

Obviously, that wasn't the case.

"Kikuske…" The blond doppelganger began, his mouth twisted into a snarl as he rose to his feet. "What are you guys trying to pull?"

While the young Uzumaki wasn't exactly known for having startling intellect and Jiraiya hadn't been teaching him long enough to change that, he was still smart enough to put two and two together. And the answer he got pissed him off.

The caravan was being attacked by unknown assailants for reasons he couldn't begin to guess at. One of his charges was a ninja in hiding and was now rushing off to face said attackers. It didn't take a genius to figure out that not only were he and those two who stuck with him not who they said they were, they were probably the target of the earlier attack.

Of course, he was mad that they had decided not to tell him these all important details, but worse was the fact that they were using that caravan back there as a shield to cover their escape, even when they knew their enemy would have no trouble wiping the whole thing out! What was the point of keeping the act up when the guys you're hiding from already know where you are? Nothing, it just put them all in danger.

"Naruto… no, you're one of his clones, aren't you?" Kikunojo said as he analyzed the clone and the situation.

The Naruto clone didn't respond to the question however, and instead angrily pointed and accusing finger at the ninja of the Land of Vegetables. "It's you, isn't it? You're the ones that those guys back there were after! What were you thinking, using kids and old ladies as shields!?"

"We didn't have a choice!" Kikunojo shouted back. He and Yurinojo hated that they'd needed to sink so low as to plan to use children and the elderly as decoys, but there wasn't any other way to safely get their princess out of the country quickly enough.

Besides, they were shinobi. Part of the job meant that sometimes, you would have to do things you weren't proud of.

"We had to-!"

"Save it!" Naruto cut him off abruptly, sweeping his arm out. "You can spill your guts to everyone back at the caravan!"

"If I do that…" Kikunojo trailed off, averting his eyes from Naruto's condemning stare and looking to the ground with a conflicted look before his expression hardened. After a moment, his head rose again and he gripped his sword. "You're just a clone. To keep Lady Haruna's secret… I'll destroy you if need be."

"Ha! Hate to break it to you, but you'd just be wasting your time." Kikunojo frowned at the boy's perceived slight at his skill, but before he could respond, the clone continued. "You want to know something cool about us shadow clones? When we pop, our boss and all our copies get our memories." He said, tapping his forehead with his index finger with a cocky smirk. "So go ahead and destroy me, you'll be saving me the trouble."

Kikunojo's eyes widened. Though that jutsu was well know throughout the great villages, not many minor nations possessed it, and consequentially he hadn't known that little tidbit of information. His shoulder slumped and a look of defeat crossed his features, knowing that he'd failed to keep his new lord's secret. '_Forgive me, Lady Haruna._'

Frowning, Naruto questioned, "So, who's this Haruna? Is she the one they're after?" Then he shook his head. "Forget it, you can explain back at the caravan." With that, the clone dispersed.

Remembering what the clone had told him and aware his charge was now in hot water, he quickly used a body flicker to return to the caravan.

While he knew it was against his master's wishes, this may be for the best. Continuing this act wasn't really benefitting them anymore.

* * *

Naruto and his clones froze all at once, their faces masks of shock as their mind's processed the information the recently dispersed clone had gained before hardening. The blonds' hand clenched into a tight fist as he let out a growl of anger.

"Everyone, stop!" Naruto yelled, and instantly the caravan obeyed his command as all the peddlers turned their eyes to him.

"What is it, Naruto?" Momiji asked curiously, looking down from her perch on top of the front cart.

"That's what I want to know." Shun asked angrily, stepping forward and giving the boy a cold stare. "What could possibly be so important that you'd hold us up a time like this?"

Naruto matched the fake merchants glare for a moment before growling. "Oh, like you don't know!" He then pointed accusingly at Shun and Yurinoshi. "You two have been keeping something from the rest of us haven't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Shun replied angrily, taking a step forward. "Now, if this bout of insanity has passed, can we get back to-" Shun was cut off as Kikunojo reappeared next to Yurinoshi in a burst of speed, startling most of the convoy. One could clearly read the look of failure on his face. Many of those present took a step back at his sudden appearance before they recognized him as one of their own, and their surprise gave way to confusion.

"K- Kikunojo?" Shun questioned, just as surprised by the shinobi's sudden appearance as the actual peddlers.

Naruto turned to the shinobi of the Land of Vegetables, "Kikunojo? Is that his real name?"

"Forgive me." Kikunojo said as he faced Shun, dropping down on one knee and closing his eyes. "One of the boy's clones discovered me before I could locate the enemy. I take full responsibility for uncovering your identity."

"Y- you fool!" Shun began angrily, walking over to the kneeling guardian and glaring down at him. "If you'd just destroyed it, you could have-"

Kikunojo just shook his head, "Those clones have the ability to transmit everything they learn to the others when they're destroyed. Silencing it wouldn't have done any good." He opened his eyes and met Shun's gaze with an apologetic one of his own. "I'm sorry, Lady Haruna. Our secret was uncovered the moment the clone laid eyes on me."

"L- lady?!" Naruto asked in shock, pointing to Haruna. "You mean he's a she!?"

"Kikunojo!" Haruna snarled, furious over his disregard for her wishes.

"Lady Haruna." Yurinoshi stepped forward, taking a place in between his partner and their master. "Don't you see? The moment Kikunojo was exposed; all meaning in maintaining this charade was lost. They already know we're the targets. If we try to keep secrets now, it's just going to do more harm then good."

Haruna glared at the disguised ninja before her before letting out scoff and turning her back, looking away from her guardians.

"Fine, Yurinojo. Do whatever you like."

"Wait a moment…" The old woman of the group stepped forward, scrutinizing the young woman a few seconds before recognition showed in her eyes. "It _is_ you… Princess Haruna of the Land of Vegetables." She gave a kind smile, much like the ones she would give her own granddaughter. "You've grown so much since we last saw each other."

"Wait, princess?" Naruto questioned with a frown. Oddly enough, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu starting to come over him, but, racking his brain, he just couldn't place where it was coming from…

"Yes." Kikunojo answered as he rose to his feet, gesturing towards the disguised princess. "Standing before you is non-other than Lady Haruna, the only daughter of the daimyo of the Land of Vegetables… and I fear now, its rightful ruler."

Naruto's frown deepened as he tried to understand what was happening. That feeling of familiarity getting stronger by the moment. "So, come on. Spill it. Tell us what you've gotten us into."

With a sigh, Kikunojo began to retell their tale, beginning in a wistful tone as he recalled fond memories of the not so distant past. "As I told you before, our land is one that cherishes peace and harmony, with the other lands and with nature. Our lord was a kind man who strongly believed that the happiness and well being of his people were more important than all else." His voice took on a sad tone as he continued, his head dropping as his hand tightened into a trembling fist. "However, that does not mean his reign was a prosperous one. Recently, we learned of a coup being planned. But by the time we became aware of the threat, most of out officials had been bribed to their side."

"You mean those guys who attacked us before?" Naruto asked.

It was Yurinojo who answered with a grunt of affirmation. "However, those were merely the subordinates. That group of rogue ninja is led by three shinobi known as the Janin. They're a trio of ruthless, evil ninja from across the sea who use unknown, powerful ninjutsu. They have no regard for human life and will kill anyone if it means furthering their goals."

"But, what would they want with a place like the Land of Vegetables?" Naruto questioned. It didn't really make sense to him. If it's such a small, poor nation, what would they want with it? Maybe it was just the opportunity, or they went after what they thought was an easy target.

"That's something we just don't know." Kikunojo responded. "But in order to protect his only heir, he had his daughter sent away with this group of merchants and ordered Yurinojo and I to guard her. We weren't confident we could protect Haruna with just the two of us, so we sent to Konoha for aid under the guise of a protection job. But… with the funds available to us, we couldn't afford a B or A rank mission… so we requested a D-rank mission, hoping for a squad of genin led by a jonin leader."

Naruto closed his eyes as he thought about everything he'd just learned before taking a deep breath.

"So, let me get this straight." He began, though it was easy to hear the anger in his tone. He opened his eyes and let his gaze wash over the trio. "To escape these Janin guys, you decided to use these peddlers as a cover. You wanted extra help, and since you couldn't afford jonin, you settled for genin. Ok, I get it. Not happy about it, but I get it. But whose bright idea was it to keep this to yourselves when they attacked us the first time? What, were you planning to use these guys as decoys?" He threw his arm out to gesture at the peddlers behind him, who were looking at the three with disappointment in their eyes. "Hell, you could have mentioned this to Grandma Tsunade! She might have worked something out with you!"

"Isn't it obvious?" Haruna bit back, annoyance clear in her expression. "We couldn't trust you with this information. My escape was top secret!"

"Yeah, because you did such a great job of keeping a lid on things." Naruto replied sarcastically.

Haruna glared, but continued as if she hadn't heard him. "And you're just a kid. If I told you everything from the start, you probably would have run back to your teacher."

"Do I look like I'm going to run away?" Naruto shot back.

The princess of the Land of Vegetables scoffed. "That's because you have no idea what you're getting yourself into. You seem to hold yourself in very high regard. I hazard a guess that you think you could handle our enemies on your own." Seeing that she'd successfully pressed his buttons, she continued without giving him a moment to retaliate. "So, what happens now? It is still your job to protect me until we reach the next town."

"No, it isn't, Lady Haruna." Kikunojo responded, drawing her attention as he turned to face her. "The mission we requested was only to guard the peddlers. I'm afraid he's under no obligation to continue aiding us."

Haruna was visibly shocked by this revelation, but recovered quickly, her face once more becoming cold and stoic as she looked at Naruto out of the corner of her eye, "So then… what are you going to do? Will you just leave us to fend for ourselves?"

"Are you kidding? No chance in hell!" Naruto answered, once again surprising the princess as he gave her a look of unwavering determination.

Sure, the princess wasn't his favorite person in the world at the moment; but he wasn't the type of guy who'd just leave her to die. Besides, even if he was, she was important to her nation and Yurinojo and Kikunojo seemed all right.

"But we're not going to use these guys as a cover anymore." He turned to the peddlers. "If these Janin guys are that dangerous, then its best for them if we lag behind while they move on ahead."

"But you'll be throwing away our only cover!" Haruna argued.

"My lady…" Yurinojo began, causing her to send a harsh look his way. "Perhaps this is for the best. The moment they attacked, it was obvious the caravan wouldn't provide much defense. It was an ideal escape as long as it remained a secret from them, but by now they must suspect us. Now that they believe they know where we are, I doubt it would deter or delay them that much."

Haruna didn't seem convinced, but relented, knowing that they weren't going to listen to her. Really, why was it so difficult for them to understand? Even if they only benefitted slightly, anything was worth it as long as she escaped. She was likely the last survivor of the royal bloodline, without her, even if the Land of Vegetables was liberated from those three criminals, those next in line for the throne would tear the country apart fighting for it, and that's if the other lands didn't turn their eyes to the leaderless nation.

Any sacrifice was worth protecting their land; she'd learned that long ago.

"Kikunojo, it might be best if you help out with the decoy I sent out before. Yurinojo and I can take care of the princess." Naruto said, taking charge of the situation.

Kikunojo nodded. "I was thinking along those lines myself."

"All right, you guys know what to do! To play it safe, leave everything you don't need behind. Now let's get moving!"

* * *

**Hope you liked it. Please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey. Here's chapter 4 of Legends of Two Jinchuriki. I don't really have much to say. So, let's get to the story and see how Naruto fares against the first of the Janin.**

**First though, question. Would you like me to give statistics like the databooks and wiki for characters who grow beyond their canon counterparts? Personally, I don't really want to. I'm afraid that I'll misrepresent their abilities and they can be misleading. For example, according to the statistics, Kakashi was stronger than Kakuzu when they fought... and according to the Bleach databooks, Kenpachi is by far the weakest captain... yeah... So, they don't always accurately portray a character's skill and abilities.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

The sky was painted dark blue and the horizon a bright orange as night encroached upon the land. The sun could no longer be seen, having slipped beneath the mountains.

As dusk settled upon the Elemental Nations, The purple haired member of the Janin leapt from tree to tree, not making so much as a sound as he hunted his quarry. Once he set out, it hadn't taken him long to locate the bodies of the two shinobi they'd sent out. The two had been buried, likely for the benefit of those travelling the area or to attempt to throw further pursuers off the trail, but he'd found them. Considering that the other groups had come back empty handed, this had to be the direction the princess was headed in.

It wouldn't be long now until the last little loose end was all tied up and the land firmly within the grasp of him and his siblings. And soon enough, with his eldest brother's jutsu, they'd be moving on to bigger and better things.

Sensing something up ahead, he concealed his presence completely and quickened his movements until he finally found what it was he'd sensed.

It was a convoy, all of whom were gathered together and seemed to be discussing something. Recalling the orders their subordinates had been given: to eliminate everyone they came across, it was easy to guess that these were the ones who had killed them.

Personally, he thought giving them that order had been stupid. They'd probably gotten killed by that blue clad shinobi among the group. Why bother if they weren't even sure their target was among them? While he was sure he could handle that ninja, they obviously hadn't been able to. They'd taken an unnecessary risk and got killed for their trouble.

Oh, that wasn't to say he cared about sparing lives or the lives of his subordinates. He simply didn't believe in wasting the effort to kill when there was no need, or in wasting resources, such as ones followers.

Unless that resource happened to be money, in which case he would gladly waste it on himself at any opportunity.

Scrutinizing the group, his eyes widened before a grin spread across his face, his gaze homed in on an amethyst eyed male. That person matched the description of the princess. This was probably an attempt to hide her and smuggle her out to get reinforcements beneath their notice.

He weaved a few hand signs and whispered the name of his signature jutsu, "Water Style: Liquid Memory."

Puddles of water formed on the ground around the foliage so that his targets wouldn't notice, and droplets of water levitated into the air, saturated with his chakra and completely under his control.

"Do you really think it'd be a good idea to split up?" Naruto asked Kikunojo, looking up at the man with his head tilted slightly.

"Hm? Rain?" Momiji stated as she noticed the droplets of water floating in the air around them. Finding something odd about it, she looked to the sky.

Her grandmother and a few other members of the convoy noticed the same thing and looked around for any sign of a raincloud, but the sky was mostly clear.

"That's odd, there's barely a cloud in the sky." The old woman in the group commented as she searched the sky.

The two ninja tensed, both instantly noticing there was something wrong with this 'rain'. Specifically, that it wasn't falling, just hovering in the air around them. As the both looked for the source of the anomaly, Momiji noticed the oddity as well. "There's something really weird about this rain."

It became all too clear to all who could see that this was an attack when a moment later, a circle of water rose from the ground around them, its walls rising higher and higher to form a dome and lock them in.

"What's going on?" One of the merchants asked fearfully as they all watched the water continue to rise.

"Damn, looks like they found us. Don't worry, I can handle this!" Naruto said as he drew two kunai, each with an explosive tag, and threw them at opposite ends of the dome. They sunk into the water before exploding, dispersing the water. "Guys, take cover."

'_Like I'm going to give them the chance._' With that, the missing nin brought his hand to his left wrist, summoning several kunai and shuriken and throwing them, immediately repeating the actions in rapid succession and sending out a storm of deadly weapons.

Using the water, he redirected the attacks, sending them up into the air around the convoy, surrounding it in the four cardinal directions, before slamming them down on them. However, it was his turn to be shocked by what followed.

Kikunojo grit his teeth and unsheathed his blade, deflecting as many of the projectiles as he could but grunting in pain as a few grazed his sides. However, the peddlers, the disguised princess, and even the carts and objects burst into smoke and vanished at impact.

His danger instincts flaring, the rogue spun and drew one of his tonfa, bringing it up to block just as another clone of the blond slashed a kunai towards him, blocking the weapon.

"Got ya." Said the grinning doppelganger.

With a battle cry, Kikunojo leapt into the air, his sword gripped tightly in both hands.

This was it; he was finally facing down one of the bastards that dared to attack his home. He would make him pay for what he'd done, or die trying.

He leapt as he neared the tree, reaching the branch where the missing nin sat, slashing his blade to cleave him in half, only for him to dodge by jumping to another tree, separating from the blond who jumped back to avoid his allies attack as he pulled out his remaining tonfa.

The missing ninja stood straight and tilted his head to the side with an amused smirk. "Heh, pretty good distraction. You must have a lot of chakra to make a copy of the entire caravan."

"Are you one of those Janin guys?" the Naruto clone questioned as two more replicas joined him at his side, one holding a weapon, as they glared at the missing nin and briefly eyed the droplets of water.

Whoever, this guy was, he seemed to be able to control water like his fellow Jinchuriki, Gaara, could control sand. The clone who'd thought that suppressed a grimace as he recalled how Gaara used it and how difficult it was to fight him and breach his defenses, not to mention the damage it could cause.

If this guy could control water like Gaara could sand… this wasn't going to be easy.

He began thinking of how the man could use the water and what he had done with it already, trying to think of a weakness, as the missing nin answered his question.

"So, you've heard of us?" The rogue asked rhetorically. "I'm called Ruiga. So, I take it the princess is with the real caravan."

"You don't need to worry about that." Kikunojo said resolutely, holding his sword in front of him. "Because here and now, I'm going to make you regret what you've done to my home!"

"Well, you can try." Ruiga responded, slipping into a fighting stance.

"Come on, Kikunojo, I want to wipe that smirk off his face!" One of the clones said as it and its brethren prepared to fight.

"Trust me; I'd like nothing more than the same. Now, witness the flower ninja arts of the Land of Vegetables!" With that, he shot forward, swinging his sword in an arc to decapitate the rogue shinobi. Ruiga leapt backward and Kikunojo followed, bounding off the tree the moment his foot touched down and reaching the water using ninja in the air, bringing his blade down in a diagonal slice.

Ruiga blocked the attack with his tonfa, but Kikunojo pressed the attack, slashing relentlessly as Ruiga blocked each attack. Ruiga managed to divert an attack from above and begun to spin into a kick, only for the flower user to take his left hand off the blade and block with his forearm as they neared the ground.

Ruiga was about to retaliate when the faint sound of a weapon cutting through the air reached his ears. Turning his head, he saw the clones had let loose a volley of kunai at him. He kicked off the sword user, flipping in the air narrowly avoiding the weapons and landing in a handstand, he flipped to his feet and skipped back, as the attacks continued.

Casting out his arm, Kikunojo called out, "Flower Shuriken: Flying Flower, Falling Foliage!"

From the surrounding area, dozens of flowers suddenly rose, hovering in the air, their petals straitening out and seemingly hardening before flying at their target, each as lethal as the weapons the blond was throwing.

It was all for naught however, as a shield of water formed before Ruiga and all the remaining flowers and weapons sunk into it, slowing to a stop before dropping harmlessly to the ground.

"Heh, well, you'd take first prize in a flower arrangement contest, but that jutsu's no match for me." Ruiga boasted with a grin. Just as those words left his mouth, two clones attacked him from both his sides.

The two clones, each holding a kunai in a reverse grip, slashed at the rogue ninja, who blocked both the attacks with his tonfa. There was a brief exchange as they clashed, Ruiga on the defensive against the dual assault, before one of the clones twisted his body and jumped off the ground, lashing out with a spinning kick aimed at his face.

Seeing the man block the attack and the brief opening it caused, the other clone followed suit, but dropped down into a crouch, aiming to sweep the missing nin's legs out from under him.

The tactic worked and Ruiga went down, landing on his back. Looking up, he saw another clone coming down on his prone form, his leg raised in a falling axe kick.

The water user brought his arms up in a cross guard, barely managing to block the axe kick which would have probably fractured a few ribs.

He pushed the clone back and rolled away, kicking off the ground and spinning through the air to land on his feet, but the moment he did he saw Kikunojo coming at him, once more casting out his arm.

"Flower Ninja Art: Mirror Flower Water Move!" A stream of petals flowed from his hand towards the missing nin, and he suddenly found the forest around him darkening even further, now appearing to be in the dead of a moonless night as the figures of his adversaries vanished from sight.

He immediately recognized the technique as genjutsu, but didn't have time to do anything about it. Before he could release the technique, he felt it done for him as pain lanced out from two points on his sides and his left shoulder. He let out a grunt of pain as the illusion shattered and found the clones had thrown weapons at him the moment he'd fallen under the flower user's spell.

Blood stained his clothing as he brushed his arm across his body, knocking the weapons onto the ground.

Channeling as much chakra into his legs as he could, Naruto launched himself forward, with his kunai held out in front of him, intent on stabbing his opponent through the stomach.

"Bastards." Ruiga snarled, angered over having been injured by such opponents, and slammed his right hand on the ground. "How about this?"

Masses of water shot out of the ground, snaking around him and moving towards his opponents at great speeds.

The clone immediately planted its feet on the ground, using its chakra to slow itself as quickly as possible before jumping back to that it wasn't caught in the attack. The remaining clones quickly pulled out exploding kunai and threw them at the masses of water.

The weapons detonated within them, blowing them apart into drops of water which rained down on the battlefield.

Seeing that all the water on the ground was inanimate, Kikunojo cast another seal-less hidden technique of his homeland.

"Flower Ninja Art: Release Myriad of Flowers!"

Once more well over a dozen flowers rained down on the enemy shinobi, but these exploded the moment they came in contact with the ground, obscuring the missing ninja in a cloud of smoke.

The smoke cleared to reveal the Ruiga had once again created a shield of water, this time around his entire body, to block all damage from the attack.

"Pretty good." Ruiga commented, grinning despite his wounds. Just a little more and…

His eyes darted as he heard something hit the water shield behind him. It was another kunai with an explosive seal attached to it. He jumped away just before the bomb exploded, destroying his shield of water.

Kikunojo charged at him, slashing at him with his blade. Ruiga leapt back to dodge and raised both his tonfa to block a powerful overhead attack.

This began a fierce exchange of swordplay and taijutsu, Kikunojo trying to cut into something vital with every attack while Ruiga blocked each strike with his tonfa and countered with kicks.

Ruiga ducked underneath a slash and brought his hands together in a seal similar to the tiger seal and the water covering the ground began to surge. Kikunojo leapt backwards as a small geyser erupted where he'd been standing just a moment earlier, repeating the action as the water continued to shoot out of the ground everywhere he stepped until finally, he jumped backwards, landing on the branch of a tree and glaring down at his adversary.

The flower user was growing frustrated, though he clamped down on the emotion and kept his cool. He'd never expected them to posses such powerful jutsu. All of his techniques were ineffective against the missing-nin's abilities.

Ruiga turned around, facing away from his as the three shadow clones attacked him from behind. As one of the clones leapt into the air and reared back his hand to punch him in the face, the missing nin countered with a kick, hitting the duplicate in the center of his chest and destroying it.

Seeing the missing nin was distracted, Kikunojo once again summoned flowers into the air, using his chakra to harden them before launching them at their opponent as shuriken, this time, he immediately followed after them, launching himself into the fray and using them as a cover.

Unfortunately, the ploy didn't work. The missing nin disengaged from the clones just long enough to form an orb of water in the air, in between him and the flowers turned shuriken. Once more they were stopped dead in their tracks before the orb of water collapsed and fell to the ground.

Once more, he locked weapons with the missing nin, who was put completely on the defensive as he was attacked on both sides by the two clones and the flower user.

As the fight dragged on, the amount of droplets of water in the air continued to increase and the ground grew more soaked. Now, it was covered with puddles as far as the eye could see, and with every step they made the earth would squelch beneath their feet, the dirt turned completely into mud.

Ruiga grit his teeth as he blocked a slash from Kikunojo with both his arms, ignoring the slight pain from his injured shoulder as his feet digging into the moist earth. He quickly moved his arm to block another attack from one of the clones only for it to turn out to be a faint. The moment he clocked, the clone immediately twisted its body and continued lashed out with a kick, his lower body didn't lose momentum as the attack neared the youngest of the Janin.

The rogue ninja felt the wind get knocked out of him as the kick hit him right in the solar plexus, sending him back and into the trunk of a tree, grunting at the impact and coughing as he attempted to get his breathing under control.

Kikunojo leapt forward the moment that the rogue ninja's back hit the tree, holding his sword parallel to the ground as he rapidly closed the distance. The rogue ninja opened his eyes just in time to see him swing his blade. The attack struck true, cleaving his head from his body.

… Or so it seemed. The corpse was immediately replaced with a log, revealing that the rogue had used the substitution jutsu at the last moment.

Letting out a brief sound of irritation, he turned as the purple haired shinobi stepped out from behind a tree, clapping in a sarcastic manner while giving them a condescending grin.

"I really have to hand it to you, you're a lot more skilled than you look, but this has gone on long enough." Ruiga said as he took a few steps forward. "Hate to break it to you, but the game's over."

"Oh yeah? How do you figure that?" One of the Naruto clones bit back as it glared at the man. "Cause from where I'm standing, you haven't even managed to touch us."

"You two really don't get it, do you?" Ruiga asked rhetorically as he shook his head. Kikunojo and Naruto's clones were on edge, wondering what their opponent was planning. "In case you haven't noticed, my jutsu lets me control all the water in the area as if it were an extension of my own body, and I can pull as much as I need from the earth and the plants around us. So, what do you think I've been doing this whole time?"

Kikunojo's eyes narrowed before they widened in horrified realization. "You've been stalling. You've just been holding us off as you saturated the area with water…"

"… So that I could finish you off in one move." Ruiga finished for him with a sadistic smirk as the clones took on the same expression as the flower user. He once more made a hand sign, focusing his chakra.

All at once, all the water on the ground came to life. The ninja of the Land of Vegetables and the blond clones attempted to move, but the water had encased their feet and prevented them from escaping. All they could do was watch as the water continued to rise until it consumed them entirely, leaving them trapped as the mass of liquid formed a massive orb that covered the forest's canopy.

The trapped shinobi tried to move, but they found the water so much… heavier than normal. Try as they might, they couldn't even more to defend themselves.

"Now, say goodbye." Ruiga bit his finger and made the hand sign for the summoning jutsu before placing his hand on the prison of water. A seal appeared on the surface of the water before a large smoke burst out underwater.

The trapped ninja's expressions became masks of terror as the smoke cleared to reveal a huge school of piranha, which promptly sped towards them. The moment one bit into a clone, it would simply burst into smoke. Kikunojo, however, was not a clone. He let out a muted scream of agony as the fish swarmed him and bit into every area of his body, tearing through is cloths and ripping out chunks of his flesh with each attack.

The last clone was soon destroyed; its final act was to helplessly bear witness to the figure of Kikunojo being obscured in a cloud of red as he was torn apart.

* * *

Naruto took in a sharp intake of air as his face became a mask of horror, his breathing coming in brief, shuddering gasps as the memories of his clone reached him, the image of the Kikunojo being torn apart consuming his thoughts.

That was the first time… the first time he'd ever actually seen an ally, someone he'd fought alongside of, even if it was through a clone and not personally, die, and in such a gruesome manner, no less. His face went slack, his eyes wide and blank while his mouth was left agape as his mind numbed from the horror of what his clone had witnessed.

While he wasn't exactly a friend, Kikunojo had been a good person. Naruto could tell how absolutely loyal to his home and the princess he was, and that he'd hated to use the peddlers as they had. He was someone he'd have liked to call a comrade.

And now he was dead. It had been his idea to send him to help with the decoys. This was his mission. If he and his clones had been stronger… if his clones had fought harder, was there a chance that he could have survived? Was his death his fault? Had he been careless? Was there anything else he could have done? These were just a few of the questions swirling around in his mind as he processed that an ally had died on his watch. Amidst the pain from losing an ally right before his eyes, was the guilt of failure as he couldn't help but feel he was responsible.

He, Yurinojo and Haruna were resting around a fire, hidden in the forest quite a distance away from the path. The rest of the caravan had long since moved on and gotten to safety. While the shinobi could keep going, Haruna had needed to stop and rest. They had been considering stopping there for the night and setting up camp when Naruto abruptly froze.

Haruna now had her hat removed, revealing she had long hair that trailed about half way down her back, while Yurinojo now wore the same ninja clothing Kikunojo had.

Frowning at the boy's sudden shift in demeanor, Yurinojo asked, "Naruto, is something wrong?"

"My clones…" Naruto began, his expression unchanging. "Kikunojo was…"

Both of those gathered around the campfire's expressions shifted to shock for a moment before Yurinojo's gaze fell to the fire, his eyes narrowing as his fist trembled from the grief. His fellow ninja had been a childhood friend. "Kikunojo…"

Haruna's face hardened however, not a trace of sympathy or sorrow over the loss of her subordinate. "Do you see now? I told you we shouldn't have sent away those merchants. If we hadn't stayed behind as a distraction, we could hide in the next village and be only half a day away from the next major town."

Naruto was snapped out of his despair by another negative emotion: anger. He shot up and glared down at the princess. "Will you shut up about that? Listen here, princess. That guy sacrificed just his life for you, and all you care about is that we should have kept more people around to sacrifice?"

"Hmph." Haruna responded. "Kikunojo was only doing what was required of him."

"How can you say that?" Naruto bit back, clenching his hand.

"Because it's true. It was his duty to lay down his life for me and that's exactly what he did." Haruna responded with her usual harsh stare. "And now, all I have to protect me and the future of the Land of Vegetables is the two of you."

"You..!"

"Naruto, please." Yurinojo interrupted him, drawing the blonds' attention away from the cold noble. Turning to his princess, Yurinojo spoke in a serious tone, "Lady Haruna. We can't go to the town. If we do, the merchants, or perhaps even the village itself could be attacked and you know it would buy us little if any time." The last part was largely for her benefit. He didn't want to think about an entire town potentially being destroyed just to cover their escape.

"And being out here with no one to protect me but the two of you is preferable?"

"Please trust me, Lady Haruna. I will protect you with my life."

"Shut up, Yurinojo! Kikunojo was far stronger than you. If he couldn't defeat this enemy, what makes you think you can?" Before he could respond, she shot up. "I'm going to get some water." Was all she said before walking off past the tree line.

The Uzumaki heir could only glare after her, furious at her cold and uncaring reaction to her subordinate's loss. "Man, she gets on my nerves," He turned to Yurinojo and pointed after her. "Hey, she's so important to your village because she's next in line for the throne, right? Not that I'm thinking about leaving or letting these Janin assholes control the country, but what's going to happen to your land if someone like her takes charge?"

"… She wasn't always like that." Yurinojo replied with a sigh, bringing his hand to his face. After a moment, he stared into the fire, his expression melancholic as he thought of the peaceful days gone by. "When she was young, she, Kikunojo and I were quite close. Despite the fact that she was of noble blood, she treated everyone kindly and counted us among her closest friends. She was a cheerful girl with a smile that warmed the hearts of all who would meet her and Kikunojo and I swore we'd become strong ninja to protect her."

Naruto frowned as he tried to imagine Haruna the way she was being described. What could have happened to turn the child Yurinojo was talking about into her? "What happened?"

Closing his eyes, Yurinojo replied, "The peace in the Land of Vegetables is very fragile. We can hardly defend ourselves against the more powerful nations. In order to protect our land and her lineage, she was sent away to serve as a political hostage by her father. It's a common practice for small nations in troubled times like these. She begged him not to send her away from her family, but he didn't have a choice. She felt that he'd betrayed her." Opening his eyes, his gaze rose to the sky as he recalled the day she'd returned. They'd all been so happy to have her back… but on that day, there had been no warmth in her expression. She'd been cold, unfeeling. "When she returned, she'd could no longer trust anyone. She pushed everyone away, even her father, feeling that to let anyone into her heart even slightly would just open herself up to being betrayed. Nothing her father tried to make up for allowing her to be used as leverage could change her. After all, she felt she couldn't even trust her family, and if you can't trust her family, then who can you?"

The blond Uzumaki frowned as he sat down, looking to his feet with a pensive expression. While he thought it was stupid to just push everyone away, even those who weren't at fault and cared for you, at least now he knew the reason for the way she acted. Thinking about it, he had a hard time imagining what that must have been like, to be betrayed by her own father and sent away from her home, away from everyone she ever knew, to spend years in a foreign land, and who knows how she was treated?

After a moment, Naruto spoke up, looking up at Yurinojo with a troubled expression. "I'm sorry about Kikunojo."

Yurinojo shook his head. "Don't be, it wasn't your fault."

The young Jinchuriki's brow furrowed at that. "But… it was my idea that got him killed. If I'd been stronger, then maybe my clones could have… or maybe I shouldn't have sent him out at all. If I'd just left the clones to fight that guy then…"

Yurinojo, remembering his days as a genin, guessed what was wrong and asked, "This is the first time you've actually seen someone who fought alongside you die, isn't it?" Getting no response and figuring he'd hit the nail on the head, he continued. "Listen, Naruto. This really wasn't your fault. What do you think would have happened if your clone hadn't found Kikunojo when he went off to face our enemy? If he lost with your clones by his side, how would he have fared on his own?" Seeing the blonds' expression relax a little, he nodded. "Kikunojo was determined to face the enemy that ravaged our home, and you took this mission under false pretense. It's beyond what a genin should have to go on, let alone lead or attempt without the support of a team and his sensei. You did all you could do. Besides, it's not uncommon that shinobi die in the field. Most never live to see old age, many don't even make it to adulthood."

Naruto's expression looked slightly disgusted. "So you're telling me I'll be able handle it better some day?"

Yurinojo shook his head, "In a way. It'll never get easier to deal with, but yes you'll eventually come to handle the loss of your comrades better. You have to. Because in this world we live in, to you or your enemies, there are always sacrifices." He let his words sink in for a moment before saying, "If we fail now, his sacrifice will have been for nothing. We need to focus on what Kikunojo left for us. What kind of abilities does this enemy have?"

After a moment of silence, Naruto answered, still looking pensively into the flames. "His name's Ruiga and he's one of the leaders. He fights with a pair of tonfa and uses a jutsu that lets him pull water from the plants and the ground and control it like an extension of himself. He uses it as both a weapon and a shield and he summons piranha."

Yurinojo frowned as he thought on those abilities. He could start to see how they lost. Fighting an opponent with such powers wouldn't be easy. "Does he need to hold hand signs or anything to maintain control of the water?"

The blue eyed teen shook his head. "No… that just seems to make it faster."

The ninja of the Land of Vegetables closed his eyes. "In that case, we should move north a ways. There's rocky terrain with little, if any water. He may not attack us there, and if he does he'll be a severe disadvantage."

Naruto's seemed to consider this before nodding. That was the best way he could think of. He tried to think of his fight with Gaara for inspiration, but didn't come up with much.

Gaara had sacrificed most of his sand's ability to defend and attack for power by the time they fought, so there wasn't much inspiration to be taken from that battle. Sasuke had pierced Gaara's defense with his Chidori… the Rasengan might work, but he doubted he would get more than one shot with that, so he'd have to make it count.

There was the summoning jutsu… but he didn't really know that much about them or their abilities, and calling out Gamabunta would draw a lot of attention. Not something they wanted right now.

There was also the Kyuubi's chakra… but he really didn't want to rely on that.

Suddenly, Naruto snapped his fingers with a wide grin.

"Did you think of another way to fight our enemy?"

Naruto seemed surprised before rubbing the back of his head and smiling sheepishly. "Oh sorry, I've just had the strangest sense of déjà vu for the longest time and I just realized where it was coming from."

Yurinojo arched an eyebrow, wondering how he could have possibly experienced anything like this before. "Oh yeah? Where?"

With a smile, Naruto began regaling the events of his mission to the Land of Snow.

* * *

The sky was a vibrant purple as the new day approached. As creatures began to stir throughout the forest, so did Ruiga, his amber eyes cracking open in the calmness of the early morning as he rested on a branch against the trunk of a tree. One could see bandages through the wholes in his shirt where he'd been hit by shuriken the previous day.

Shaking his head to clear it of any lingering weariness, he sat up. His injuries from the previous day had required that he rest for the remainder of the night, but now he felt ready to finish the hunt.

Standing up and stretching briefly, he vanished in a burst of speed, more than ready to bring an end to the drawn out hunt.

* * *

Not too long after that, Naruto and his companions began to stir as the songs of birds began to echo through the forest. Naruto sat up in his tent, rubbing a sleepy tear out of his left eye before yawning and rising to his feet. Yurinojo had had the last watch of the night and was looking to the sky, knowing it was time to put their plan into action.

Naruto unzipped his tent and stepped out into the still dim light, tying his forehead protector around his head with a determined look as he stared in the direction the sun would shortly rise in.

Both he and Yurinojo were thinking about their upcoming battle with Ruiga, who they were thankful hadn't shown up during the night. They were going to make him pay for what he did to Kikunojo.

Meanwhile, Princess Haruna opened her amethyst orbs and stared at the roof of her tent, not moving as she thought of her predicament and somewhat thankful she hadn't been killed in her sleep. At this point, she felt she'd be better off on her own that with her noble protectors, but, that was life.

"You ready?" Naruto asked Yurinojo, who nodded in response. Both knew that, provided he hadn't gone for reinforcements, Ruiga would soon attack. It was time to prepare.

* * *

As the sun crested the horizon, Naruto, Haruna and Yurinojo walked through the woods, with princess at the center of their group as the two ninja scrutinized the surrounding area.

Both tensed as they sensed a presence nearby, one that didn't try too hard to hide itself this time.

Only a few seconds later, water rose from the ground in droplets all around them, hovering in the air, waiting for the rogue ninja hunting them give a command.

Naruto took out a kunai while Yurinojo drew his blade. Yurinojo turned around so that each shinobi looked in one direction, both holding their weapon at the ready while the princess seemed ready to take the 'flight' in the fight or flight response.

A single bead of sweat rolled down Yurinojo's face as he remembered once again that he was about to face someone strong enough to defeat his best friend and rival, whom he'd never been able to defeat no matter how often they'd sparred.

But it didn't matter. He had to do this, for the princess.

"Princess Haruna." Yurinojo began. "Get ready to run as soon as the enemy shows himself."

"Do you really think I'm going to let you run away?" The moment those words echoed through the area, puddle rose from beneath their feet.

Yurinojo grabbed Haruna as he and Naruto leapt away just in time to escape the orb of water that formed where they had stood just a moment before. The orbs hovered in the air for a moment before speeding through the air at them. Once again the pair leapt to the side to evade and the orbs slammed into the ground with enough force to make dents in the earth.

Yurinojo narrowed his eyes as he searched through the surrounding area for any trace of the water user before, finally, seeing a brief glimpse of his purple hair through the foliage. Seeing their hidden enemy, he cast out his arm.

"There you are! Flower Shuriken: Flying Flower, Falling Foliage!" Though there were a few less flowers than when the technique was used by Kikunojo, nevertheless a little less than a dozen flowers turned shuriken flew into the air and the shot towards their target. Ruiga leapt out of the tree just before the weapons cut through the leaves he'd hidden himself in.

The moment he landed, two unassuming rocks at his side burst into smoke, revealing a pair of clones which attacked him from both sides. Ruiga drew his tonfa and blocked both, lashing out with a kick to destroy one before leaping back to avoid a retaliatory slash from the remaining one.

"Huh. Pretty clever trick, but is making clones your only skill?" Ruiga asked as he looked past the clone at the blond he assumed was the real one. "Somehow, I doubt that that's the real princess."

Both Naruto and Haruna smirked before the princess burst into smoke, revealing another clone which pulled down its eyelid and stuck its tongue out at him. "Nope, got you again, sucker!"

"Heh. Funny." The missing nin said dryly, not seeming the least bit irritated. "You realize that after I take care of you two, there's not going to be anyone to stand between me and the princess, right?"

"That won't be an issue, because we're going to avenge Kikunojo, right here and now." Yurinojo spoke with determination, raising his blade and slipping into a combat stance.

"We'll see about that." Ruiga responded, summoning more water, this time creating an orb directly in front of him. Once the orb was fully formed, he bit his thumb and brought weaved a few hand signs before placing his palm on the sphere. "Summoning Jutsu!"

A school of piranha appeared with the orb which sped towards the group, splitting into four orbs, each filled with the deadly fish, and coming at them from different directions.

Seeing this, the pair ran to escape the deadly creatures. Ruiga grinned.

"Think you can get away?" Ruiga asked as he gave chase, making a point to keep close to his piranha. Throwing out his hand towards them, he commanded one of the water orbs to speed up, rapidly closing the distance between itself and his quarry.

Naruto and Yurinojo leapt into the air just in time to avoid the water orb, which held together as it slammed into the ground, and took to the trees while Ruiga followed them on the ground.

Naruto turned in mid air and reached into his pouch, taking out eight shuriken and hurled them at Ruiga, but once again a shield of water manifested in the air, blocking the weapons before allowing them at fall to the ground as Ruiga continued the chase without breaking stride.

Eventually, they reached the edge of the forest. In a stark contrast the dense woodland, just beyond its border laid rocky, mountainous terrain. The young Uzumaki and the ninja from the Land of Vegetables jumped from the trees and landed on the stony ground and continued to run, with Ruiga and his piranha not too far behind.

"How long do you two plan on running?" Ruiga taunted as he chased after them.

Naruto couldn't help but grin. Their plan was working. Hopefully, there wouldn't be enough water for him to use that jutsu here. Without it, they shouldn't have any problems taking him down.

Yurinojo turned and threw a series of shuriken. The only problem with their strategy: without fertile soil or flowers nearby, all but his basic jutsu would be rendered useless.

Ruiga's eyes widened, seeming to realize that there was no water here for him to use for his jutsu. He stopped and held his tonfa before him, spinning them rapidly to deflect the weapons.

Hearing something behind him, Ruiga turned to see ten boulders in the area had transformed into shadow clones, all of which came at him with fists raised or weapons drawn.

"Not so tough without your little waterworks, are you?" One of the clones shouted as they neared him. As Ruiga raised his arms to defend himself, the real Naruto drew four kunai, each equipped with an explosive note, and threw them at the orbs of water holding the piranha.

As the first clone's kunai collided with Ruiga's tonfa, four explosions went off, dispersing the orbs of water that the purple haired rogue controlled and sending them to the ground. Ruiga's deadly summons were left flopping on the ground harmlessly, struggling to take in oxygen outside the water, before dismissing themselves and vanishing in clouds of smoke.

"Damn it!" Ruiga snarled as he was pushed back by the combined assault of three different clones, skillfully blocking their every strike. One clone attempted to punch him, only for him to brush the attack aside and bring his knee up to its stomach, destroying it instantly.

Before he could continue his counter attack however, he had to leap to safety as Yurinojo came from behind, swinging his sword in an arc to bifurcate the missing nin.

Ruiga flipped over the clones and landed in a crouch, though he was given no time to rest as they continued their assault. With a quick jab, he destroyed one of the clones, only to find it was a faint and there was another clone hiding behind it, its fist reared back and poised to strike.

Fortunately, this one was attacking with its fist, but nevertheless it had packed its punch with a lot of chakra, enough so that it was actually visible in blue wisps. The clone's fist collided with his gut, sending him flying back and into a rock, painful even though the hard, unforgiving surface was left undamaged. He let out a grunt of pain at the impact and slid down to the ground, only to take to the air again a moment before he would have been riddled with kunai.

Yurinojo leapt into the air after him and raised his sword above his head. Ruiga used both arms to block the powerful downward slash. The shinobi from the Land of Vegetables followed up the attack with rapid slashes from the sides, but Ruiga blocked everyone before skipping back the moment they touched down.

The clones charged past Yurinojo, all letting out battle cries as they prepared to continue the attack when Ruiga smirked.

Before they could do anything, Ruiga quickly sheathed his tonfa and pulled out a pair of scrolls and unrolled them in one quick motion. He let them go and made a hand sign before they could fall to the ground. A simple technique to unseal the generic sealing jutsu which pretty much all ninja knew how to use.

The thing about those seals though, they can hold large quantities of just about anything.

Including water.

Huge geysers of water burst forth from the scrolls as more water spilled out around them and covered the ground. Six of the remaining clones were caught in the deluge and destroyed by the force of the liquid.

"Did you think I couldn't see what you were planning?" Ruiga asked tauntingly. "Since last night, you've been moving closer and closer to this waterless terrain. Did you really think I wouldn't come prepared?"

Naruto and Yurinojo leapt back, but as they did, Ruiga rapidly made hand signs for his signature technique. "Water Style: Liquid Memory!"

The water suddenly came to life while Naruto and Yurinojo were still in the air, orbs of it flying at the pair from all directions while bursts of it drove the remaining clones into the ground. The blue eyed blond managed to escape by quickly creating a shadow clone and having it toss him to Yurinojo, trying to get him out of the way, only for a bullet of water to hit him square in the chest and send him flying before skidding across the rough ground to a stop.

"Guess I'll finish you off first." Ruiga commented as he summoned another orb of water before him before biting his thumb once again. "Summoning Jutsu!"

This time, a much larger burst of smoke erupted from within the water. Naruto managed to sit up just in time for he and Yurinojo to look in horror at what the missing nin had summoned this time.

Rather than a school of piranha, this time Ruiga had called forth a shark. The bubble containing the dangerous animal shot forward towards the trapped shinobi.

"Shit!" Naruto snarled as he leapt to his feet and launched himself at his trapped comrade, throwing another exploding kunai at the shark, only for it to be blocked by another bubble that formed in its path.

Water rose from into the air and fired at the Jinchuriki like bullets once more. While he dodged the attacks, he was successfully delayed until the shark reached Yurinojo.

The shinobi gripped the sharks by its nose and beneath its mouth as it reached him, struggling to keep it away, but he could feel it was a loosing battle. Each second, his straining muscles failed him a little more and the shark's deadly jaws drew closer.

Knowing his end was nigh, he did the only thing his could, turning to Naruto just as he managed to evade the last of the water bullets and rushed to help him. "Naruto! Please, protect the princess!"

Famous last words, thinking of his childhood friend and master even at the end. His strength failed him and the shark's jaws reached his body. He could only cry out in pain as it bit into his body just under his left arm.

"NO!" Naruto cried as he finally reached his trapped companion, drawing back his right hand and opening his palm. The shark, identifying the fool as a threat, unlike the now unmoving ninja in its jaw, disengaged and turned to Naruto.

However, in Naruto's right hand formed an orb of pure chakra. The sight of this caused the grin to drop from Ruiga's face, replaced by a look of shock.

"What?"

"Rasengan!" Naruto slammed the Rasengan through the bubble of water and into the shark's nose. The orb seemed to dig into the creature without breaking its skin before it burst, sending it flying out of the water orb. It slammed into the ground and instantly poofed away, returning from whence it came.

Ruiga was so shocked by what he'd just seen that the orbs of water collapsed to the ground. Naruto grabbed the falling ninja of the Land of Vegetables and landed with him in his arms.

"Yurinojo! Hey, talk to me! Yurinojo." No response. It was then Naruto noticed how his eyes stared up at the sky lifelessly, his skin already losing color due to the massive blood loss. The shark's teeth had ripped right through his heart, killing him in that one move. "… Yurinojo?"

"Heh, well, I gotta hand it to you kid, that was a pretty impressive jutsu. Looks like there's more to you than meets the eye." Ruiga commented, walking forward with a smirk on his face. When the blond didn't respond, choosing instead to sit there looking blankly at his falling comrade, he continued, "Too bad. You almost made it in time to save him. Not that it'll matter in the end."

Naruto remained unmoving. His mind once again numbed by horror and guilt as he couldn't help but feel that he'd failed. This time, however, with his newest friend's killer so close, there was another negative emotion welling up inside him.

Hatred. Hate for the man who killed another ally, who ravaged an entire country out of greed, who would certainly kill him if he didn't make a move.

Ruiga stopped, forming another orb of water before him and once more using the summoning technique. Another shark appeared. "It's been fun, but now the game's over."

Casting out his arm, the shark shot forward towards the unmoving boy. Ruiga's grin widened as he thought about how all that was left now was to find the princess, then he could return to his new castle and live the high life with his siblings.

This thought was dashed when, in an instant, the sound of an impact was heard and the shark was sent flying out of the water, crashing into the ground and poofing away like the first one. Standing there, with his hair shadowing his eyes was the blond. His hand was cast to the side, as if he'd simply brushed the marine animal aside as one would a fly.

"W- what the hell?"

The blond growled as a visible aura of vile, red chakra began to radiate from his body as he trembled from barely restrained rage. Finally he raised his head and let out a furious roar and Ruiga was struck by the change in the blond.

The whisker like marks on his cheeks had thickened, considerably, his canines had elongated into fangs and his hands. His ocean blue eyes had turned red like the demonic chakra that swirled around him, his irises had shrunken and his pupils had become vertical slits like a snake's.

Or a fox's.

The missing nin took a step backwards, but before he could question what happened, what this malevolent chakra he was feeling was or even move to defend himself, Naruto had vanished.

Suddenly, blood erupted from his mouth and he bent forward, his gaze falling downward to see that the blond had buried his fist into his gut.

Strangely, he felt no pain… for about a moment, then it erupted from his stomach, but with all the air knocked out of him he couldn't voice it before he was launched backwards by a kick. He flew backwards, slamming into and through a rock. He bounded off its surface and into the air before bouncing off the ground four times before he slowed to a stop on his stomach.

Blood trailed down from his forehead and he raised himself up on his hand and elbow as he coughed up a little more of the crimson liquid. He turned his amber orbs towards the blond fearfully.

What was he? He'd never seen or heard of anything like this before. He needed to get away before…

Too late, the blond charged forward, moving so fast a cloud of dust followed in his wake. Ruiga jumped back to his feet and moved to dodge, only for the blond to change direction and punch him in his jaw. He could feel the bone dislocating before he was once again sent flying, slamming into a large boulder hard enough to create a deep crevice.

He opened his eyes just in time to see the blond charge forward, raking his claw against his claw across the ground and carving a path as he rapidly approached the downed shinobi.

The moment he reached him, he slashed his hand and his sharp claws raked across the missing nin's chest, sending out a spray of blood along its path. Ruiga's eyes widened in shock from the pain as he took in a sharp gasp of air. The claw of Naruto's middle finger had scraped across his heart. It only took a few moments for him to bleed out.

Naruto stood there, breathing heavily as he stared at the missing nin as the life left his eyes. In a few moments, he seemed to calm down, his features shifting back to normal with his eyes being the last thing to change. The moment his blue eyes returned, his face became a mask of shock and he took a few, shaky steps back. He looked down at his blood covered hand, his breathing becoming shuddering gasps, before he retched, covering his mouth with his clean hand, before falling to his knees and finding his breakfast spilling across the ground.

He couldn't believe he had just killed someone, even if they were a missing ninja. He had seen his fair share of death, and he had fought many villains since he'd become a genin. Zabuza, Gaara, Doto, and Suien just to name a few. But in all that time and with all those battles, Naruto had never actually killed any of them.

Hurt? Yes, definitely. A Rasengan to the gut hurts no matter if you're wearing chakra armor or souped up on hero's water. But killed? Never. Not once since he had become a genin had he killed anyone.

Until now at least.

He felt… sullied. And the way he'd done it… were the people of Konoha right about him? Was he just a vessel for the Kyuubi? A monster?

He remained in his kneeling position as he was consumed by the horror of everything that had happened just moments before.

* * *

**Well, that's the end of chapter 4, I hope you enjoyed it. Too bad about Kikunojo and Yurinojo... I bet a lot of you who read my previous stories expected both of them to make it through, huh?**

**As always, please review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**And now we come to the end of the first arc of the story. The next chapter will feature what most of you have been waiting for: Fuu's introduction. I don't really have much to say at the moment so, without further ado, let's see the conclusion of Naruto's mission, and Jiraiya's reasons for not intervening when he probably should have.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Haruna was on the run through another part of the mountainous terrain, far away from where the battle with Ruiga had taken place, guarded by four of the blonds' clones. The sun had made a quarter of its journey across the sky as it shined down on the land.

As she made her way to what she hoped was safety, she had to wonder why the blond was going to such lengths to help her. She'd been surprised when she learned of their plan to act as decoys for her. Why would he do this when it wasn't his mission? And when she'd made it perfectly clear she didn't want his help.

Her thoughts were interrupted when one of the blonds' suddenly grabbed her, jumping to the side just as a spiked ball flew through the air, slamming into the ground where she'd been just a moment ago.

Another clone sent a kunai where the weapon had come from, only for it to be deflected at the last moment.

"Well, I gotta hand it to ya, kid. You've got some nice reflexes." A voice said from above them. She and the clones looked up in shock to see the heavy set member of the Janin floated in the air above them, looking down with a superior grin, as if he was looking at insects he would step on for amusement. He released whatever the power that was holding him up was and fell to the ground before pulling his arm back, retracting the spiked weight attached to his kusarigama and spinning it above his head. "Must have some pretty large chakra reserves to use that clone jutsu so liberally."

The clones took formation around Haruna, each drawing a kunai as they prepared to fight and the fourth clone stood before the group. "I'm guessing you're another one of the Janin?"

"Heh, that's right, you must have run into my brother by now." The mission nin replied with a tilt of his head. "What an honor that our name's spread so far. Name's Jiga. Now if you'd be so kind as to hand over the princess…"

"Not a chance." One of the clones snarled in response as Haruna took a step back.

"Have it your way then." Jiga chuckled grimly before launching his weight again. Once again, they scattered, one grabbing Haruna as they dodged the attack.

The clones threw their kunai in unison, attacking him from four different directions, but they were all stunned by what followed.

Jiga simply withdrew the weight and, as it passed by the knives, they were drawn to and latched onto the spiked ball. Jiga simply pulled the daggers off his weapon.

"You're going to have to do better than that."

"What the- What just happened? It's like that thing's a magnet or something." One of the clones said.

"Smart kid, that's exactly right. When I was a runt like you, I ate iron every single day. Because of that, I have plenty of metal floating around in my body that I can use as a magnet whenever I want." The missing nin explained.

The clones growled in frustration, knowing that if that was the case, their weapons would be mostly useless, though one hand an idea on how to use that magnetism against him. Still, this left very few avenues of attack available to them.

As two clones charged forward, intent on bringing the fight to Jiga since they were short on long range attacks and their weapons were almost useless. Jiga threw his spiked ball again, but the targeted clone ducked under it as they closed the distance between them.

Jiga let out a bark of a laugh as he pulled the weight back. He ducked down when one of the clones launched a kick towards his face and swept out his leg as the second neared, causing it to burst into smoke. He then leapt into the air before throwing the kunai he'd taken from the blonds into the air. They hovered above him for a moment before shooting forward with insane speed, shooting through the clones and slamming into the ground with enough force to kick up a cloud of dust.

"Come on, your making this too easy." Jiga said while oddly patting his stomach after landing.

"Oh yeah?" One of the clones said as he leapt through the cloud with his arms crossed in front of him. "Well try this on for size!" With that, he swept his arms out, throwing four kunai at the gray haired man.

Jiga smirked… before his eyes widened when he noticed that the kunai all had explosive tags on them. His eyes widened but by the time he realized the blond was attempting to use his magnetism against him.

He deactivated the magnetism and took to the air to avoid the ensuing explosion.

"How dumb do you think I am?" Jiga questioned before looking to where Haruna was and finding her and the final clone were no where to be seen. "Oh, just trying to distract me huh? Clever, but not clever enough."

With a cry, the last remaining clone leapt out of the cloud at Jiga, twisting his body to dodge when he threw his spiked ball at him, rearing its fist back to punch him in the jaw.

Jiga simply manipulated his magnetized body and pulled himself to the nearby rock wall, his body tilting to land feet first on the vertical surface, before launching himself at the clone, slamming his fist into its stomach and destroying it in an instant.

He flipped through the air and landed on the ground before looking off where he was sure they'd run to. "Now, where do they think they're going?"

* * *

At that moment, Naruto was running through the forest, though at no where near top speed, with a blank look in his eyes. He'd spent a few minutes at a stream he'd found, washing the blood off of his hand. No matter how hard he'd tried, he could never seem to completely removed the stained feeling, but he'd eventually managed to tear himself away from the water, knowing that Haruna was counting on him.

This was one of the reasons jonin-sensei were so essential in the field. The mental conditioning the academies of the various villages imparted were rarely enough to prepare someone for the act of taking a life. Even now, his mind was still a little numb and there was still a dull pain in his heart from the knowledge that he'd killed someone.

Suddenly, his mind was snapped fully back to the present as he received the memories of the first clone destroyed by Jiga. Cursing as his expression shifted to one of determination, putting aside the thoughts on Yurinojo and Ruiga's fates, he took off at full speed, focusing on the fact that he had to save Haruna.

* * *

Meanwhile, the last remaining clone held Haruna's hand as it ran forward, dragging her along as quickly as he could pull her.

Suddenly, a familiar spiked weight flew through the air above them, slamming into the ground ahead of them and kicking up several chunks of rock. Rather than fall to back to the earth harmlessly, the stones levitated in the air for a moment before shooting towards them.

They moved so fast the clone only had enough time to push Haruna to the side before they tore into it, destroying it instantly.

"Naruto!" Haruna cried out as she saw her last protector destroyed, not out of concern, after all they were just chakra constructs, but because she knew she was now totally defenseless.

"Heh heh heh. Well, look at that. Looks like you're all alone." Jiga commented as he stepped forward. Haruna inched away, too afraid to even rise to her feet as the missing nin approached until he stood over her. "You know, it's too bad. You should have heard how your father went on about you before you died. How terrible he felt about sacrificing you for your people." He said mockingly.

Haruna froze at those words. She hadn't really thought about it… it hadn't really hit her until those words left the missing nin's mouth that her father was dead. But… he'd begged not only for their people's safety, but for hers? After he'd used her as a hostage?

"Oh well, at least you'll be together in the next world!" Jiga swung his kusarigama as Haruna raised her arm in futile defense… only for a geta sandal clad foot to suddenly collide with his head from the side. The world seemed to stand still for a brief moment for the princess and the missing nin before time resumed and he was sent flying through the air and into a boulder hard enough to shatter it.

"What kind of man treats a beautiful lady so callously?" The new arrival, Jiraiya said as he took a place in between Haruna and her attacker. "Not exactly a very manly way to act." He looked over his shoulder at the princess before pointing off into the forest. "I passed Naruto on the way here. He's over that way, go to him. It won't be easy to protect you against someone with his abilities in this kind of terrain."

Haruna, stunned by the events of the previous few seconds, took a moment to find her voice. When she could speak again, she asked, "W- who are you?"

"Me?" Jiraiya replied, pointing his thumb at himself. "I'm the brat's sensei." He turned back to his adversary, who was picking himself off the ground. "Now, why don't you head off? Careful, I don't know how many of these guys subordinates are still around."

Haruna nodded and stood, not even brushing herself off before running in the direction Jiraiya indicated.

"Heh, you shouldn't have bothered. All you managed to buy yourself is a one way ticket to the afterlife." Jiga said as he stepped forward. "In a place like this, full of magnetic rock, I'm invincible." He boasted with a laugh. "Besides, I just wanted to have some fun taking my time finishing them off. That caravan the kid was guarding? We've captured them and people in the next town. Get in our way and they're all-"

"You don't listen very well, do you?" Jiraiya cut him off, causing him to frown. The toad sage smirked as he said, "All those guys you left at the castle? I already took care of them, and some friends of mine should be about finished up in that town too."

"Wha- what?" The heavy set missing nin responded before rebuffing, "You're bluffing."

"You don't know who I am, do you?" The Sannin chuckled before holding his hand out in a dramatic pose. "I am a hero who travels the lands, vanquishing foes and saving lives. A man who goes by many titles. One who has mastered the ways of the ancient sages. One whose very name causes villains to beg for forgiveness." He said, going through a melodramatic kabuki dance before finishing in an equally overly dramatic pose "The legendary Jiraiya!"

* * *

Haruna ran through the forest as quickly as her legs would take her. While she had no desire to rely on anyone else, including the naïve blond, after seeing the enemy and their abilities, she knew that going on her own was pure folly.

But she couldn't get what she'd just learned out of her head. Her father… how had he really felt? She'd never even considered what had been going through his head when he sent her away, beyond the fact that it was for the greater good. Maybe because it was easier to blame him, she'd thought the well being of their country was all that mattered. She'd never thought… he'd been thinking of her as he died? He'd really cared about her?

And now she'd never be able to ask him how he felt or why he did what he did. She hadn't been anything but cold to him and hadn't trusted him at all once she'd got back but… it still hurt knowing he was gone.

"Haruna!" The princess stopped and looked up to the source of the voice that called out to her and found it was none other than Naruto, who landed before her. "You're all right."

Haruna nodded. "A man claiming to be your sensei saved me." Naruto was visibly shocked to hear that.

"The pervy sage was here?" Seeing Haruna's questioning expression, Naruto quickly added, "That's just what I call him. He's a huge pervert, but he's one of the strongest ninja in our village. His name's Jiraiya and he's one of the Sannin."

"Jiraiya's your sensei?" Haruna asked before shaking her surprise off when she noticed someone missing. "Where's Yurinojo?" Seeing the blond suddenly become crestfallen, she closed her eyes. "I see." She then walked past him. "Well, let's be on our way."

Naruto's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, holding her firmly in place. "Hang on one second! Is that it? He died for you and all you can say is 'I see, let's get moving'? What the hell's the matter with you?"

Haruna shook off his grip. "What are you so upset about? He was only doing his duty-"

"Do you really think that's all it was?" Naruto yelled back. "He told me what happened to you." Haruna's eyes widened at that. "He told me all about how the three of you used to be friends before your father sent you away. What, did you think he and Kikunojo only cared because of your position?" He took a step forward, staring right into her amethyst orbs. "Do you know what his last words were? He practically begged me to protect you!"

Haruna froze at those words, her mind full of thoughts of her deceased childhood friends. "You may not have cared about them, but those two were willing to lay down their lives for you, and not even because you were their princess, but because you were their friend! They died for you, and all you can do is scoff!?"

"…" Haruna was silent as she thought of Yurinojo, Kikunojo and her father. She had refused to trust anyone… but the boy's words reminded her that at the very least, she could have trusted them. As she thought about them, she recalled all the times they'd been there, or tried to be there, for her… and now they were gone. She felt her heart ache as she realized she'd never be able to apologize.

"If you think I'm such a terrible person, then why are you still helping me? Is it because I'm a princess? This isn't your mission, why are you risking your life for me?"

"Because I'm not the type of guy who'd just leave you on your own like that." Naruto answered. Before Haruna could respond, Naruto's danger instincts went off. He grabbed her and leapt away; throwing both of them to the ground just as something slammed into the place they'd been standing hard enough to carve a small crevice into the earth.

"Hm, how noble of you." A voice commented from above. Naruto and Haruna looked up, their faces becoming masks of surprise at seeing the eldest brother, Renga, hovering in the air above them. "I find such traits are vastly overrated."

"You must be the leader." Naruto scowled up at the final member of the Janin.

"You hit the nail on the head." Renga replied as he floated down to the forest floor. "I have to commend you for finishing off my baby brother Ruiga. You saved me the trouble."

"What?" Naruto hissed in disgust.

"Oh, don't be so surprised. It's only good business." Renga replied, waving off the blonds' response. "Hopefully, whoever your friend is will be able to take care of Jiga too, though I could always just take them both out from afar. After all, it's only a matter of time before he wants a bigger take. Three daimyos, or even two, are just too many, wouldn't you say?"

"You'd kill your own siblings out of greed? What kind of monster are you?"

"Hm. As I said, it's just good business, they're not all that useful to me, and if someone's of no use to me, then I have no use for them. But you have more important things to worry about than my family problems." Renga said, with a superior smirk as he looked down at the blond. "That town you sent that caravan to? I'm afraid it's now under my control."

"What?" Haruna breathed in shock before Naruto had a chance to respond.

"I'd hate to think what might happen to those poor peddlers you were using if you didn't hand the princess over." Renga stated, his eyes turning to the girl.

Naruto took a step back, unsure of what to do. He couldn't hand over Haruna, but he couldn't just let those people die either. "Naruto?" Haruna questioned fearfully.

"Afraid he'll abandon you to die?" Renga questioned. "Personally, I think it'd be rather quaint. You used them to cover your escape only to die for them. It'd be poetic justice, not that I believe in such a concept."

After another moment, Naruto stepped in front of Haruna. "No deal."

"Oh, what? Do you plan on defeating me and saving the town and the girl?" Renga scoffed. "Fine, if that's how you feel, then I have no problem killing you too."

"Well let's see you try it." Naruto drew his kunai and ran towards the eldest of the Janin, who simply closed his eyes and tilted his head further.

"It's no use." Naruto leapt forward and stabbed with his weapon… only for it to hit an invisible wall.

"What the-?" Naruto jumped back and threw his weapon, only for it to bounce off of whatever barrier was protecting Renga.

Renga opened his eyes and placed a hand on his hip. "That's useless. There isn't a ninja alive who can defeat my ninjutsu. Here, let me demonstrate." He held his hands before of him, as if holding an orb, and threw out his hands. Naruto took to the air to dodge whatever it was Renga had unleashed… only to feel the wind knocked out of him when whatever the invisible force Renga was using slammed into his chest. He had no idea what it was other than the fact that it was extremely cold. Almost like ice.

Another hit him in the stomach and finally he was struck in the chest and sent flying through the air and to land on his back.

Before Naruto could even pull himself together, whatever had sent him to the ground slammed into him, kicking up a cloud of dust and leaving him in a small crater.

"Naruto!" Haruna called out, this time with genuine concern.

Naruto got to his feet a little shakily as he recovered from whatever had hit him, wiping a trickle of blood from his mouth as he glared at the last member of the Janin.

"You see, kid? It's hopeless. My jutsu is beyond anything you've ever seen."

Naruto pulled out two kunai with explosive tags and threw them at the brown haired man. Like all the other weapons, they bounced off the shield before detonating. Naruto took the opportunity to create five clones before grabbing Haruna and jumping back, using a tree for cover.

From his hiding place, he noticed the smoke ghosting across the shield and making it a little clearer. "What's that?"

"Is that… ice?" Haruna asked.

"That's right. I'm able to gather water vapor in the air and transform it into ice crystals, from there I can shape it in several ways and into various forms, including into an impervious shield." Renga explained with an arrogant smirk.

"You want to know something my sensei told me?" One of the clones asked as he and the others drew kunai, remembering something Jiraiya had told him when talking of defenses like Gaara's sand and Neji's Rotation. "'There exists no shield that can't be pierced, nor a sword that can't be broken.' I'll find a way around that shield and kick your ass!"

"Bold words. If you're so confident, come on and try." Renga beckoned.

At that, the clones launched their attacks, the first four charging towards him at top speed, all drawing their kunai.

"It's useless!" Renga cast out his arms and sent out another wave of invisible projectiles, destroying the four clones. When the smoke cleared, he was slightly surprised to see that the final clone had simply vanished. He knew he hadn't destroyed it, so where…?

Hearing a battle cry behind him, he turned to see the clone charging at his back, obviously hoping in vain it wasn't protected, however, what caught his interest and caused his confident expression to fall for a moment was what lay in its hand: a visible orb of spinning chakra.

"Rasengan!" The clone slammed the orb into Renga's shield and after a second, it cracked. Renga quickly opened the top of his shield and leapt into the air before sending out another ice blast and destroying it.

Standing on another ice platform, he turned to the blond and the princess. "Hm, it seems I underestimated you. That's the first time anyone's ever damaged my shield. I feel I've gone a bit easy on you. So, why don't we try this?"

With that, Renga made hand signs and… nothing happened.

No, something was happening. Naruto could feel it. But what? His eyes darted around, searching for any sign.

"Hey, kid. Would you like to know the forecast for the day?" Renga asked. "I'd say sunny with scattered clouds. Perfect weather for dying."

Suddenly, the light of the sun seemed to intensify and Naruto could feel the spot they were in get hotter and hotter by the moment. Anyone with half a brain would realize when that they needed to move. Now.

"Look out!" Naruto grabbed Haruna and leapt out of the way just as a beam of light came down from the sky and, causing an explosion where they'd been and setting the trees on fire.

"Is that… a lens?" Haruna asked as she looked to the sky.

"Pretty smart, aren't you princess? That's right; by forming the ice crystals into a lens I can focus the sun's rays into a powerful beam. Not the most accurate of weapons, but brutally effective." Renga explained. "You two have no where to run. If I want to, I can just burn down this entire forest."

Naruto grit his teeth as he stood in between the missing nin and the princess before he felt the area heat up again. He quickly grabbed Haruna and leapt away, into the trees and away from the Janin's leader.

"You can't get away." Renga said as he placed his thumbs and middle fingers together, making a circle with his hands. Before him, multiple ice lenses formed, making a makeshift telescope which he used to search out his quarry.

Naruto and Haruna hid behind a tree, the blond peeking out from their hiding spot for any sign of their enemy. "Listen." Naruto began. "I'll try to distract him. You need to get out of here and back to the Pervy Sage as fast as you can."

"What? But… Naruto!" Naruto turned to see what had cut off Haruna's words to see the ice telescope had snaked around them and through the bushes. Renga's eye was reflected through the lens and they could see twist in malicious glee.

Knowing what was coming, Naruto grabbed Haruna and bolted away, just in time to evade another beam of sunlight.

Haruna breathed heavily, their most recent near death sending her heart racing from fright as Naruto looked to the sun for any sign that another beam was incoming.

However, none came and soon, Renga stepped out from the trees. "I really can't understand why you're so hell bent on sacrificing your life for her. I'd really rather not waste anymore time with this farce of a battle."

"I'm not going to quit and I won't lose. Yurinojo asked me to protect her with his dying breath, and that's what I'm going to do!"

Renga laughed derisively. "So you're trying to fulfill the dying wish of a friend? Is that it? Ha, you remind me of this countries former daimyo." Haruna perked up at that, listening intently. "'I don't care what happens to me, just spare my people'. He even had the gall to ask if I thought the princess could ever forgive him for giving her away when their country was on the verge of collapsed. Ha. People like you are such fools."

"You're wrong! He was a wise man!"

"If you think he was so wise, then go and join him!" Renga cast out his arms and threw more invisible projectiles. This time, Naruto knew better than to dodge and threw a smoke bomb at the ground before leaping out of the way. He could feel a chill as the attack past by. "I'm putting an end to this right now."

Once more, the blond felt extreme heat as the lens in the sky focused on him. He leapt to the side to dodge yet another beam and looked up at the sun, trying to figure out a way out of this mess.

But he was coming up with a blank. That beam seemed to be able to tear through anything, and Renga probably wasn't bluffing when he said he'd burn down the entire forest. At this rate, he'd run out of places to escape to, and fast, and Renga didn't have to worry since he could just create more ice platforms and stand above the blaze.

Once more the sun's light was trained on him. As Naruto moved to dodge, he briefly saw the area before him, shadowed by the forest canopy, being illuminated by the light reflected from his forehead protector.

Reflected…

That's when the proverbial light bulb went off.

Naruto dodged another beam of light and made a cross shaped hand sign and created two dozen clones, ten of which charged while the rest jumped and threw kunai. All the attacks were blocked by the ice shield and the clones who tried to get in close were taken out by more projectiles. Renga then manipulated the lens once more, preparing to fire another beam of light.

Just what Naruto had wanted.

He threw a kunai at the lens, angled slightly off. The light reflected off the metal and struck the ground before Renga.

"What?" The ice user spoke in shock, instinctively raising his arm to shield himself, even though his ice wall would protect him.

Gritting his teeth, he looked into the smoke before his eyes widened in shock as a blur glow could be seen through the veil.

The smog was cleared in a spiraling shape, revealing the source of the glow. Naruto was holding a Rasengan with the aid of a clone that was using both hands to help him wield it. However, there was something different about this Rasengan.

It was five times bigger than the last one he'd made.

As he couldn't find a way to get around the shield, the best way he could think of was to use a stronger attack. He'd poured more and more chakra into his technique while the clone helped him maintain its form, with the result being a larger, denser sphere of chakra with far greater destructive power.

All confidence faded from the missing nin's face. It was replaced by fear as the man knew exactly how dangerous the attack was. As there was no time to counter and at the speed the blond was moving, he doubted he could dodge; Renga raised his hands and channeled as much chakra into his shield as he could to raise its defensive power, a snowflake shape forming on it as it thickened.

It wasn't enough. The moment the attack hit the shield, it cracked. It took only two seconds to shatter completely.

The orb slammed into Renga's chest and a wave of chakra burst out in the direction of the attack, tearing a large crater in the ground behind the missing nin and sending cracks through the earth all around them even as Renga remained stuck on the sphere, his eyes wide and his mouth open in a silent scream.

Haruna could only shield her face as she watched in awe at the immense destructive power the blond had unleashed.

"Giant Rasengan!" Naruto cried as he continued to drive the orb into Renga's stomach before finally, it exploded, driving Renga through the earth, carving a deep path in the ground that went on for dozens of yards.

When the dust cleared, Renga laid at the end of the crater, blood oozing from his mouth as he stared lifelessly to the sky. His stomach was almost torn open by the attack, and even though his skin was still intact, though permanently left with a spiral shape carved into his flesh, his internal organs had been basically destroyed.

Naruto breathed heavily as he stared at Renga's distant body, feeling another pang of guilt as he realized he'd taken another life, even if the man was such a monster. He'd wanted to win. He needed to take him down an he couldn't see any other way to do it but now that it was over… he felt hollow.

"Naruto?" Haruna said as she walked forward, seeing his change in posture. When he turned to her, she was briefly taken aback by the look in his eyes. It wasn't the look of someone who'd just won a battle. Before she could ask about it, life returned to his eyes and his gaze quickly focused on Haruna.

"Oh crap! Haruna, we need to save the town and-!"

"No you don't." A voice cut through the blonds' rapid dialogue. Both turned to see Jiraiya and, much to Naruto's shock, Shizune, step out of the tree line.

"Pervy Sage? Wait, S- Shizune? What are you doing here?" Naruto asked.

"What do you think? Cleaning up after you." Another voice, one familiar to the blond, said. Out from the trees walked Shikamaru, who observed the crater and whistled. "Geez, talk about overkill. You sure did a number on that guy."

Naruto winced and shrunk back at the reminder of his most recent kill. Jiraiya noticed this and stepped forward. "You don't need to worry. We've already taken care of that guy's goons. All of them."

"Mater Jiraiya sent word to Lady Tsunade about the coup." Shizune explained. "As soon as she heard, she sent us to help. She likes the Land of Vegetables and its lord was kind to her in the past." She looked downtrodden as she added, "But unfortunately, by the time we got here, he'd already…"

"I know…" Haruna replied, looking downcast as her gaze fell to her feet and her hair shadowed her eyes as she thought of everything she'd just been through… and everything she'd just lost. "So… it's all over?"

"Yes." Shizune answered.

After a moment, a tear fell down Haruna's face. It was followed by another as she began to tremble as memories of her guards and her father filled her mind. She tried to hold back her emotions, but after restraining them for years she found she just couldn't.

"Haruna?" Naruto asked in concern, stepping close to her. She leaned down and wrapped him in her arms, needing a shoulder to cry on. Seeing this, Naruto allowed her to let out her sorrows on him, hugging her and patting her back as she cried.

* * *

In the aftermath of the Janin's failed coup, Haruna took her rightful place as the daimyo of the Land of Vegetables. Through those hardships and Naruto's words, as well as seeing that the Hokage had sent aid because of the kindness her father showed her, she'd learned once more to put her trust in people and decided to follow her father's example and be a kind and just leader.

That night, lodgings were prepared for the shinobi and Naruto and Jiraiya were allowed to stay in the castle. Everyone who knew him noticed that the blond had been oddly quiet since the end of the ordeal, but hadn't felt it an appropriate time, amidst the celebration that the Janin's short reign had come to a close and the attempts to aid in the rebuilding of the country.

And now, unable to sleep, Naruto, clad in a bed robe the castle's staff had provided, sat on the roof of the castle, staring up at the crescent moon hovering over the land.

Hearing footsteps behind him, the Jinchuriki craned his neck to see his sensei was standing there looking down at him with his arms crossed.

"Hey kid. Can't sleep?" Naruto didn't respond and simply turned back to the moon. With a sigh, Jiraiya walked up to him and stood next to him. Turning his head to look at his student, he asked the blond teen, "Got something on your mind?"

"… How long?" Jiraiya raised a brow at that question. Naruto turned to look his sensei in the eye, his gaze hardening. "You were shadowing me back there, weren't you? There's no way you could have gotten here when you did and sent word to Grandma Tsunade otherwise."

Jiraiya let out another sigh as he looked away and rubbed the back of his head. "You're sharper than most give you credit for, you know that kid?" After a pause he answered the question. "From the beginning. I wanted to see how you'd do if you were in charge so I let you think you were on your own as a test."

"A test?" Naruto asked in bewilderment before he shot up and brought his fist up before his chest, his expression furious as he snarled. "A test? You let Yurinojo and Kikunojo die just to test me!?"

Jiraiya, having expected such a response, remained calm. He simply closed his eyes and replied, "Geez kid, what kind of guy do you think I am? Of course not."

"Then where the hell were you!? If you'd stepped in sooner then maybe… maybe…" Naruto looked down to his feet as he eyes narrowed.

Jiraiya was silent for a moment before answering. "… You're right; I could have stepped in as soon as we learned the full scope of the situation. In fact, I probably should have"

"Then why didn't you!?"

"Because I wouldn't have done anything different. At least, not at first." Jiraiya replied with a shrug, causing Naruto's anger to give way to surprise. "Guarding that many people against an unknown enemy isn't easy for anyone and the caravan wouldn't have helped cover you at all against the kind of people they were running from. You needed to get those peddlers out of there and the decoy idea was a good one. On top of that, Kikunojo wanted to go, and I would have stayed with you and the princess anyway. Had I shown myself, I would have still sent Kikunojo to the help with the distraction. Nothing would have changed."

Naruto was left stunned that Jiraiya would have done the same thing, and it showed on his face. However, a moment later, the flame of his anger rekindled and he yelled, "Then what about after that? Why didn't you do anything when we were fighting that Ruiga guy?"

"I didn't say I was there the whole time." Jiraiya replied. "I thought you had it handled since you knew his abilities and had a plan, so I left to handle the coup and his two brothers while you guys took care of him. After all, worst case, they could try to hold the people hostage against us. From what I know of them, I wouldn't have put it past them. I scouted out the enemy and helped kick things off when the help arrived, then I came back to help you out." He closed his eyes. "Unfortunately, turned out the other two brothers had already left to find Haruna themselves, and by the time I got back, your fight was already over."

Naruto seemed to be pacified by the Sannin's answer and sat back down, his eyes on the peaceful village sleeping at the bottom of the hill. The toad sage waited for a moment, hoping Naruto would respond, before deciding to press the issue, "So kid, what's got you so down? You just took down a villain, rescued a princess, and helped save a country. You should be celebrating!"

"… I…" Naruto started, his face taking on a troubled look. The pain of what he'd done hadn't dulled at all. In fact, now that there wasn't a crisis to focus on or lives at stake, it had only gotten worse. The guilt of taking those two lives had consumed his thoughts and he found he couldn't enjoy the any the celebration or even the praises he'd been receiving. He just wanted to go back to Konoha, crawl into his room and hide away from the world. "I killed them. Those two missing nin, Renga and Ruiga. I didn't need to put so much power into that Rasengan to win. And Ruiga… when he killed Yurinojo, all I saw was red. I used my… my tenant's power and killed him with my bare hands. I'm… I'm a murderer."

Jiraiya gave a bitter laugh, staring out into the night. "Kid, if you're a murderer, than so am I." Naruto's head jerked in Jiraiya's direction, his eyes wide with shock. "Trust me; I felt the same way after my first kill. Most do, and the ones that don't are the ones you have to watch out for." He then turned to his student. "Let me ask you something, what do you think we did with most of those guy's cronies? What do you think I did with their other brother? This is a normal part of being a shinobi."

"You mean… this is supposed to be easy?" Naruto seemed slightly horrified at the concept.

Jiraiya shook his head. "No, it's not. It'll get easier, but the guilt you'll feel will never really go away. But that's a good thing; it means you're still human. It's not something that should ever be easy or taken lightly, but there are times when it's necessary. And some guys out there really just need to die. Tell me, what kind of people were those two? They weren't exactly what you'd call decent human beings, were they?"

Naruto frowned as he thought about the people he killed, "Those two were… awful. Ruiga… Ruiga seemed like he enjoyed every minute of what he did to Yurinojo and Kikunojo. And Renga was even worse. He admitted he was glad I'd killed Ruiga because that way there'd be one less person to split their gains with. His own brother! And he said he hoped you would kill Jiga too."

The toad Sannin nodded. "That's what I figured from what the one I fought said. What do you think guys like that would have done if left alone? They'd keep hurting and killing innocent people. You're actually pretty lucky that your first kills were scum like those Janin guys. As a shinobi, sometimes, for the good of your village or to protect your comrades or loved ones, you'll have to kill people who are just trying to do the same thing. People who are fighting for their village, their comrades and their loved ones." Seeing Naruto's eyes widen, he added, "Sure, sometimes fights between shinobi of different villages can go without one side killing the other, but other times that won't be the case. It's up to you to decide what kind of situation you're in. At those times, it helps to remind yourself that they'd do the same to you and your friends, given the opportunity."

While the thought of killing people who were fighting for the same reasons as him was a little appalling to the blond, the Sannin's words had improved his mood a bit. About a minute passed without another word spoken between the student and the teacher before Jiraiya turned and said, "Think about what I told you, alright? I'm gonna hit the sack."

With that, the Sannin leapt off the roof and entered the castle.

Naruto remained on the roof, still dwelling on the events of the day before he heard a door slide open. Curious as to whom it was, he slid down and peered under the slanted roof to find it was Haruna, wearing an expensive looking yellow kimono with flower patterns of multiple colors.

"Oh, Haruna."

The princess craned her neck to look at the young Uzumaki. "Naruto? You can't sleep either huh?" Naruto flipped under the roof and landed on the roka beside her, after a moment, she stepped up to the railing and placed her hand on it as she said, "When I close my eyes, I see everyone I lost… I keep thinking about how I acted towards them for so long… and how I'll never be able to apologize to them…"

Naruto gave her a soft smile. "I'm sure they understand and forgive you." He joined her at the railing and looking up at the stars. "Your father was a wise, kind man. He thought of you even at the end, and Yurinojo and Kikunojo gave their all to protect you. I'm sure they're looking down on you with pride at who you're becoming now."

"Thank you." She replied with a smile of her own before turning to look at him. "You seem to have troubles of your own. May I ask what's on your mind?"

Naruto's expression became a blank mask before finally, he answered with a question of his own. "Do you think I'm a monster?" Haruna was surprised by the question as Naruto turned to look up at her. When she didn't respond, he reiterated, "You saw what I did back there. I killed that guy, Renga. I used something way stronger than it needed to be and destroyed him… do you think I'm a monster for that?"

To his surprise, Haruna knelt down and wrapped her arms around him. She could remember when Yurinojo and Kikunojo had their first kills and, though she herself had never taken a life, knew that the blond was going through. "What I saw, was you take down a villain who murdered my father and countless other innocent lives, ravaged my country for his own gain and would have killed his own siblings just to have more power for himself." She pulled back and gave him a reassuring look. "Naruto, the man you killed was a monster, not you. Understand?"

Naruto smiled, his heart now mostly at ease. "Thank you, Haruna."

* * *

The next day, after the funerals for Yurinojo and Kikunojo, Naruto, Jiraiya, Shizune and Shikamaru had gathered together at the gates of the castle. Though there was still work to be done, many of the repairs were finished, word had gotten to the other countries that the land had a ruler, and most of the leaf shinobi who'd accompanied them now awaited outside the village. It was time for them all to be on their way.

It really was a wonderful place, they all had to agree. Now that many of the scars were healed, it was so peaceful, so… relaxed. And the aroma of the flowers hung in the air, putting everyone at ease.

"Well, I think it's time for us to head out too. We've got a lot of work to be done." Jiraiya said as he crossed his arms.

"Before you go, I have a request I'd like to make." Haruna stated, looking to the sky. "I'm not sure I'm wise enough to lead this country on my own yet, so I'd like the aid of your people, if you don't have a problem with it."

"Whatever you need. Lady Tsunade feels a debt of gratitude to this country, and she feels there should be more places like it in the world. Just ask." Shizune said.

"Very well." Haruna nodded before turning to the blur eyed blond. "Naruto… you remind me a lot of my father. You carry the same desire to help and protect that he did and so… I'd like to ask you to become my advisor."

To say everyone was shocked by this would be an understatement. Everyone turned to the Jinchuriki who could only stare at her with wide eyes. After a few moments, he said, "Sorry." He'd like to help her, but Konoha was his home and he had too many people he cared about there. Besides… this was such a serene place… he didn't want to think what Akatsuki might do to it trying to get to him. "I'll lend a hand whenever you need it, but my hearts with Konoha. And when I become Hokage, I'll do everything I can to help you protect this pace."

"I see." Haruna said, smiling despite her disappointment. "Thank you for the promise. In return for that, and as thanks for your aid in this crisis, I'll do what little I can to aid your village."

"You have our gratitude." Shizune nodded.

"Well, guess this is where we head off." Shikamaru commented, rubbing the back of his neck. "Man, you have a knack for winding up in troublesome situations, don't you?"

Naruto grinned at the lazy Nara as he replied, "What can I say? I guess I'm just a magnet for adventure."

"Hn." Shikamaru grunted in response. "I'll tell everyone back at Konoha you said hey."

And with that, the two pairs departed, waving to each other and the princess as they left, Shikamaru and Shizune on their way back to the village, and Naruto and Jiraiya to continue their training trip. Naruto swore to himself that he would do everything in his power to ensure that he nothing like what happened to Kikunojo and Yurinojo would happen to any of his other friends. Not if he could help it. He knew now he couldn't protect everyone, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try.

The toad Sannin smiled at the determined look on his student's face. While it wasn't the way he'd hoped it would happen, he felt the blond had grown a lot during this mission.

Haruna vowed to herself to make her father proud as she watched them fade into the distance until they disappeared into the field of flowers.

* * *

**And that concludes the Vegetables arc. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review.**

**Oh, and sorry to anyone who wanted to see the Jiga fight, but, let's face it. While it would have been difficult to protect someone against a person with Jiga's abilities in that kind of terrain, otherwise the battle was horribly one sided.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Now, at last, we've arrived at Fuu's intro into the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

* * *

Takigakure. Few foreigners would ever lay eyes upon this, one of a small handful of truly hidden villages among the Elemental Continents. A pity, because it was a truly beautiful place; made up of traditional, eastern style buildings, most of which were carefully and caringly constructed as if by a master carpenter, built around the walls of a small, circular valley full of plant life, around a massive, crystal clear lake, at the heart of which lied an island where their administration building lied, resting at the base of the gargantuan, sacred tree of Taki, whose canopy covered the entire village. Beams of sunlight shined through its branches, illuminating the concealed village.

The roof of the valley was hidden under a powerful genjutsu which was constantly monitored. It was an S-class secret of the village and any outsider that stumbled upon it was quickly dealt with. Even the commonly used entrance was well, if a little obviously, hidden; an underwater cave system behind a massive waterfall.

It was thanks to the lengths they went to keep their home hidden that the village had only once been successfully invaded, and that mark on their village's pride had occurred solely due to the actions of a traitor.

Suddenly, a shadowy figure emerged from the lake's depths, which rose to the surface before bursting out of the water. It was none other than Naruto Uzumaki, our favorite Jinchuriki.

The blond had hit a minor growth spurt since his little adventure in the Land of Vegetables, growing a few inches taller, now standing at an even 5 ft. He was no longer the scrawny brat he once was, his muscles having grown from the borderline hellish conditioning his sensei was putting him through. His body had become more defined, possessing a lean musculature that granted him strength while not decreasing his speed or flexibility.

The blond had changed in the six months, and not just physically. He'd taken to heart the lessons he'd learned during the affair.

Jiraiya had since stressed to the boy that he'd need a change of wardrobe if he was ever going to be taken seriously. He'd liked his track suit, after all it was his favorite color, which was why he'd bought it in the first place, and so had initially refused. Jiraiya had actually spent two days trying to convince the blond to discard the clothing he liked so much and get something more fitting for a shinobi. Eventually, Jiraiya was forced to resort to drastic measures. He 'accidentally' lost the spare tracksuits the blond brought and destroyed his last remaining one in a particularly brutal sparring match. And so the blond was forced to retire his tracksuit.

The teen now wore a black, long sleeve shirt with fingerless, plated gloves and gray pants. Refusing to abandon his favorite color, he had an open, bright orange vest slightly reminiscent of a flak jacket, lined with two pockets both outside and inside the jacket. For some reason, the toad sage had wanted him to keep the red spiral that could be found on the back of his tracksuit and all of Konoha's shinobi clothing. Seeing no reason not to, and besides which he found he liked the spiral, he allowed him to have it added to the vests. He had also switched out his blue shinobi sandals and forehead protector for black ones that matched the dark colors of his new attire and had done away with his weapons pouch.

He craned his head as he took in the peaceful village, a smile spreading across his face as he did so. It was a little nostalgic being; it had been a long time since he'd been to this place and being here sent the young Jinchuriki on a brief stroll down memory lane.

Yes, the last time he'd been here had been well before Sasuke's defection. That time he, the aforementioned Uchiha heir and Sakura, had been escorting the, at the time, extremely nervous and timid leader of Taki: Shibuki, back home and arrived only to find it had been taken over by a missing nin from the village; Suien, who Naruto had defeated with a little help from Sasuke.

Naruto shook his head to clear his mind. The thought of how well the three of them had been getting along at that time, and how it had all turned out, was something he'd rather not think about.

He turned when he heard others emerge from the water's surface behind him. Out of the clear, blue water came a kunoichi of the village, wearing Taki's standard shinobi attire, followed by Jiraiya of the Sannin, blindfolded and by the look on his face, none to happy about having been dragged sightless through the hidden entrance of the village.

Naruto held back a snicker as he used his chakra to rise out of and stand on the water, his sensei and their escort doing the same a moment later. Due to the crisis at the time, Shibuki had been forced to show him the entrance to the village, making blindfolding him a moot point.

As he rose, Jiraiya took off the blindfold and turned his eyes to the tree. Taki was certainly a nice place, though in this Sannin's opinion it was a short on public bathhouses and hot springs, but, oh well. He was here for business, not pleasure anyway, as much as he preferred the latter.

"If you'll follow me, I'll escort you to see Lord Shibuki." The kunoichi said as she turned to the teacher and student duo. "He's been expecting you, Master Jiraiya. I'm sure he'll be surprised to see who you've brought along."

As the kunoichi began walking towards the island in the lake's center, sending rippled through the water with each step, Naruto grinned widely as he said, "Great, I want to see what he's been up to." When the Sannin had told him they were heading here, he'd instantly thought of his adventure here and wondered how Shibuki was doing. When they first met, he really didn't seem like the type of person who'd do well running a village, though Naruto could tell he cared deeply for it, but after standing up to Suien, he'd seemed to have changed. "So, you never said. What is it you want to talk to Shibuki about anyway?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "Sorry kid, it's a secret." He said, smirking at his student's obvious annoyance.

In short order, the trio had entered the entered the administrative building and walked down its halls. The kunoichi opened the door for them and allowed them to enter.

Shibuki sat behind a desk, filing away a completed form and reaching for the next one when he heard the door open. Thankful for a brief respite from the never-ending monotony of paperwork, he looked up and smiled amiably.

"Welcome, Master Jiraiya. It's been quite some time since you last visited us. You're a little later than I…" He greeted before his expression shifted to one of surprise when he saw the young teen walk in behind him. "Naruto?"

"Hey, Shibuki." Naruto said as he placed his hands behind his head in a relaxed pose. "Long time no see."

With a slight laugh, Shibuki stood, reaching over the desk and shaking his hand as he replied, "You can say that again. So, what brings you here with Master Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya chuckled as he placed his hand on the blonds' head, ruffling his hair as he said, "I've decided to take him on as an apprentice. We've been on this training trip for the past few months."

"Oh, is that so?" Shibuki questioned.

"Yeah, the Pervy Sage has been teaching me all kinds of incredible things. I'd wipe the floor with that Suien if I fought him now!" Naruto said, pumping his fist. Jiraiya made a face when he heard Naruto refer to him as 'Pervy Sage' in front of a village leader.

Shibuki chuckled, shaking his head. "'Pervy Sage'? From what I've heard, that name suits him." Naruto let out a snicker as he could almost sense his teacher's annoyance. "I hope you haven't picked up any of his bad habits."

Naruto scoffed at that. "Hah, he wishes. So, what have you been up to?"

Shibuki shrugged as he sat back down. "Oh, the usual. Fortunately, no serious problems have arisen since last time you've been here. Things have been pretty boring around here, not that I'm complaining." He said, turning to Jiraiya. "Now, what was it you wanted to see me about?"

"Yeah, I guess we should get down to business." The perverted sage nodded before turning to Naruto. "Alright, kid, run along now."

The Jinchuriki looked up at his sensei and frowned. "What?"

"Our discussion is nothing you need to worry about." Jiraiya replied, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. "And I think you've earned yourself a break. Consider our stay here as free time. You can explore the village, take in the sights, enjoy your hero status, and maybe even find yourself a nice lady friend!" He spoke that last suggestion in an enthusiastic tone as a perverted grin spread across his face. "Now go on, have fun."

"Alright." Naruto grumbled, knowing his sensei well enough to know that there was no arguing with him on it. With a shrug, Naruto headed out. "See you later, Shibuki."

Shibuki nodded to him as he left the room, before turning to the legendary Sannin. "He acts about the same, but he seems to have matured a bit since I last saw him." The village leader commented.

"Heh. Yeah, right. He's the same brat as ever." Jiraiya replied, craning his head to look at the door his student had just departed through out of the corner of his eye.

"Well, let's get down to business." Shibuki said, sitting back and clasping his hands together on the desk. "I have to admit, I was a bit surprised when you sent a message saying you had urgent information for us. So, what's so vital to our village's security that you had wanted to discuss it with me personally?"

Jiraiya crossed his arms and closed his eyes, his expression becoming serious. "Tell me, have you ever heard of an organization called Akatsuki?"

* * *

Naruto walked across the bridge leading from the center island to the village proper, wondering what he was going to do with himself while his sensei was talking about whatever it was he was being so secretive about. It annoyed him to no end that the man kept this from him, but there was no point dwelling on it.

Stepping off the bridge and walking the streets, the blond looked around at the people that went about their daily business. When he'd help save the village, his team had left before things could return to business as usual and he hadn't gotten a chance to really explore the village.

As he looked around, Naruto noticed that he was receiving many looks. Because of how secretive and secluded the village was, even though it was fairly large, outsiders stuck out like a sore thumb, even without forehead protectors denoting them as such. He could see them staring at him and feel their gaze on his back and every once in a while, whispers concerning him would reach his ears.

It was something he was fairly used to. After all, he grew up receiving hateful glares and cruel whispers of the people of his own village as he grew up. However, this was different than what he'd experienced back home and he couldn't resist letting a proud smile spread across his face from what he was hearing and the looks he was getting.

Unlike during his earlier years, the eyes and words that were upon him all radiated approval. Many of the civilians who had been held captive recognized him, and they were glad to see him once more. A few civilians who had been hostages on that day actually came forward to thank him. He made a brief stop at the local restaurant for a, relatively, light meal of five bowls of ramen and the owner let him have it on the house! Though, he'd said it was a one time deal.

Aside from that time back at the Chunin Exams when he defeated Neji, he had never had this many people happy to see him. It was definitely nice feeling.

"Naruto!" "Naruto, you're back!" The blond turned to see the two children, whose names he realized he had never learned, who had been the first to meet his team when they'd arrived in the village. He remembered helping the two clean up the waterfall's basin before they learned that the village had been attacked.

"Oh, hey guys." Naruto greeted as they approached. "How've you been?"

"Great! It's been so long, I didn't think we'd see you again." The girl said as she and her brother looked up at the teen with stars in their eyes. The boy was a hero in the eyes of many of the village, and none more than the two children who had personally witnessed him take down the guy who betrayed their village and hurt Shibuki.

"Have you had any new amazing adventures since you left?" The boy asked eagerly.

Naruto chuckled proudly. "Yep! I can tell you all about them if you want."

"Really? That'd be awesome!" The boy cheered. "So, what are you doing here?"

Naruto craned his neck to gaze back at the island at the center of Taki, his expression taking on an annoyed look as he thought about how his sensei cut him out of their discussion, "Ah, my sensei has something he needs to talk about with Shibuki. I guess we'll be here for a few days."

"Say, Naruto." The girl began, pointing back to what must be her house. "We've got some cleaning to do in the yard. You mind helping us again?"

Naruto shrugged, seeing no reason not to. Besides, the two reminded him a little of Konohamaru and his corps and it wouldn't be any worse than those D-rank missions he had gone on when he first became a ninja. He also figured he could probably ask them about the sights and places of interest around the village so he wouldn't have to search them out himself. "Sure, why not? Not like I've got anything better to do."

Bright smiles spread across both their faces at his answer. "Thanks!" They chorused.

* * *

After taking the time to help the kids with their chore, Naruto went back to exploring the village. Finding nothing else interesting to do around the village, he decided to instead explore the area around the village. Looking around the forest surrounding Konoha had been one of his favorite past times, though distant from pranking, gardening and sampling the divine dish that was ramen.

And so, travelling through the underwater tunnels surrounding the village once more, Naruto emerged from the waterfall and stepped into the forest, taking a moment to take in the natural splendor of the falls. He spent a good half an hour walking through the forest. He was followed at first, no doubt that there were other secrets around the village they wouldn't allow any outsider, even him, to learn of, but that stopped once he got far away enough from the village.

As the sun began to set over the land, the young Uzumaki discovered a small river that fed into the larger one that began at Taki's entrance. Deciding to follow him, he casually walked just beyond the water's edge. Soon, the sound of churning water reached his ears, hinting at the presence of a waterfall, though by the sound it was much smaller than the one that hid Taki's entrance.

The foliage began to grow denser and denser as he approached the sound's source until finally, he saw through the bushes a very small waterfall that poured into a lake at the center of a grove.

Unlike the falls that hid Taki's entrance, the clearing had several sparse groupings of flowers. Their fragrance, combined with the crisp, clean air produced by the water and the earthen scent of the forest gave the area an appeal even the majestic falls outside of Taki's entrance lacked and made even the hyperactive blond feel completely at peace.

As he began to approach the tree line, he caught sight of a figure in the grove. Quietly, he stepped in for a closer look.

Sitting on a stone at the edge of the lake with her feet dipped into the water as she leant back on her arms was a girl who looked to be around the same age as the Uzumaki himself. The girl had straight, spiky hair that was a distinctive mint green in color that almost reached her shoulders and framed her face and had tan, caramel colored skin. She wore a white, sleeveless midriff shirt and a short matching skirt and white shinobi sandals, along with bandages under her shirt that went halfway down her stomach and from her skirt halfway down her thighs and a pair of long, white armlets, which all together he found similar to what Ino wore. He could see the forehead protector of Taki tied around her right arm.

While the girl hadn't seemed to develop in one area, specifically her chest, many would still consider her very attractive. She possessed well proportioned hips and a narrow waist that still left her with a curvy figure and the toned, feminine legs and perfectly flat stomach characteristic of a strong kunoichi. Her lithe form and the mildly exotic appearance her unique features gave her a rather striking appearance.

However, what drew the blonds' attention were her eyes. They were a bright, beautiful orange, and reminded Naruto of his beloved tracksuit that his sensei had burned with his damned fire jutsu. Seriously, this girl had to have the most awesome eyes he had ever seen in his life.

Ugh, he wished his eyes were orange.

But another thing about those orange pools that caught his notice was the look in them as she stared into the sun's reflection in the water with a sorrowful, troubled expression. It was a look the blond was all too familiar with, having seen it in the mirror for years when he was younger. She had the look of someone who bore the weight of the world on their shoulders, and had not a single person to help carry it. Someone who knew the deep despair of complete loneliness.

Before he could do or say anything, the girl's head snapped up, her face shifting to a mask of shock, then annoyance as she turned and glared in his direction. From his place, he couldn't notice the small beetle that had landed on her shoulder.

"All right, whoever had the bright idea to spy on me, come out right now!" The green haired girl ordered.

There was a slight rustling before the blond emerged, smiling sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. The girl's eyes narrowed at the sight of the newcomer, having expected him to run. "Sorry about that, but I wasn't really spying. I only just got here. I was exploring around here and I came across this place."

The girl cast a suspicious look his way, seeming to size him up, noticing his Konoha forehead protector, but after a moment seemed to buy his story. She jerked her head away from him as she said, "Well, congratulations, you stumbled upon my little home away from home. You can go now."

Now Naruto frowned, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"Why should I? I can go wherever I want. In fact, I think I'll stay right here." He said, walking to a stone across from the girl and parking himself on it.

The girl sent another glare his way before turning away again. "Suit yourself." She said, refusing to let his presence bother her. It was a bit annoying though. This was her favorite and personal spot. She came out here specifically because she wanted to be alone. She didn't like having people intrude upon her solitude.

After that, a few seconds of silence passed between them. While his presence was unwelcome, the green haired girl couldn't help but wonder who he was. Finally, she decided to sate her curiosity. "So, who are you anyway?"

Naruto tilted his head to the side. "Oh, and here I thought I was bothering you. Warming up to me already?" He asked sarcastically.

"Ha." The green haired girl scoffed. "Yeah, you're a regular ray of sunshine, clearing up my cloudy day."

"Hmph." Naruto snorted. "If you really want to know, I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

The white clad kunoichi blinked, her expression shifting into one of surprise. "Naruto? As in the boy who saved our village and took down Suien? The one who managed to get Shibuki to kick it in gear, that Naruto?"

Naruto gave another snort as a grin spread across his face. "The one and only."

"I should have recognized you the moment I saw you." The girl said, causing the blond to preen a little. Then her mouth curled into a smirk as she added, "After all, you're the only blond ninja I've ever heard of who goes around wearing 'kill me bright' orange clothing."

Naruto's eye twitched. She did _not_ just diss his favorite color. Shooting to his feet, he clenched his fist as he shouted, "Hey, orange is an awesome color! And I wouldn't mock it if I were you, since you've got orange eyes!"

"I didn't say there was anything wrong with the color." The girl replied, closing her eyes and shrugging. "But it's not exactly practical for a ninja, is it? I wouldn't be surprised if you got spotted from a mile away wearing that."

Naruto pointed at her. "Oh yeah, well, you're one to talk! You go around wearing blinding white!"

The green haired girl's smirk instantly vanished as her head jerked forward, causing her hair to obscure her eyes in shadow. Unknown to the blond, she had a similar affinity for white as he had for orange. The white clad kunoichi performed a perfect imitation of Naruto's previous actions, shooting to her feet and glaring at the blond. "And what's wrong with that? White's an amazing color!"

"Yeah, well it's a lousy excuse for one if you ask me! It's like looking at a blank nothing!" Naruto responded, throwing his arm out dismissively.

The girl took a step on the water, getting closer to the Uzumaki as the water rippled under her foot. "It's the color of good, purity and perfection, you jerk! And it's a hell of a lot better than going around wearing something like orange; you look like you belong in a circus!"

Naruto mirrored the girl's actions and took a step forward. "Well at least it blends in some places! Where did you plan on hiding, the Land of Snow?"

"So you don't deny that you look like a clown!?"

"I was talking about leaves in autumn! And at least I don't look like a walking white flag!"

"Keep talking about my favorite color like that and I'll stomp you!" The two had continued to step closer to one each other throughout their tirade, and were now only inches apart

"Actually," Naruto quickly began correcting the girl, his stance adopting a slight lecturing pose with his right hand raised and his index finger pointing to the sky and his left hand clasped on his elbow. "White isn't a color. It's the absence of color. So technically speaking, you're favorite color can't be white."

The girl blinked once, staring at the blond with a completely dumbfounded expression from his sudden tangent.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing," Naruto waved his left hand in the air above his head, as if to ward off a fly before folding his arms across his chest and tilting his head. "So, what were we talking about again?"

Shaking off her lingering puzzlement, the kunoichi frowned and responded, "I just told you to watch what you say about my favorite color," She said, ignoring the blonds' remark about it not being a color at all, "or I'll make you regret it."

"Oh, yeah? Well same to you!" The pair stared intensely into each other's eyes before they turned away from each other with a simultaneous 'hmph', both crossing their arms stubbornly.

Naruto wondered where the girl got off mocking his favorite color; at least he didn't wear only orange. Even he knew that was too much. This girl seemed to wear nothing but white. "I get by just fine wearing orange."

"And I've never had a problem with white."

"Oh yeah? Well I'm a natural at concealing myself." Naruto boasted, turning back to the green haired girl. "I once covered the entire Hokage Monument over my village in graffiti wearing an orange tracksuit and no one noticed until I was almost done."

The girl didn't respond, simply turning her head away from Naruto further, causing him to frown until he caught a slight shaking in her posture. After a few moments, the sounds of restrained giggles reached him.

She didn't want to laugh. She really didn't. She'd wanted to keep the walls up around anyone she didn't know, but thinking about the prized Hokage stone faces, which the village was so proud of, covered in paint, and the looks that must have been on the villager's faces when they saw it and realized a kid wearing something as visible as orange had pulled it off caused her to giggle despite herself.

Naruto smirked as he saw the girl's restraint fracture. Finally, she faced him again, giving him a slight grin. "Heh, your ninja must be either lazy or blind to have missed that."

"Nope, I'm just that good." Naruto replied, closing his eyes and crossing his arms as a prideful smirk spread across his face. "I've probably pranked at least half the people in my village by now."

"Really?" The girl replied, placing a hand on her hip as her mouth spread into an amused smile. "So our big hero's a notorious prankster? Who would have thought?"

Naruto then tilted his head to the side and looked at her curiously. "You know, it's rude to ask for someone's name without sharing yours' first."

The girl seemed to think about something for a moment before her face hardened and she turned away. "Too bad, because I'm not giving it to you."

"What?" Naruto seemed surprised by her response before he frowned and took another step towards her. "Hey, what the hell? Why'd you clam up all of a sudden, all I asked for was your name."

The girl crossed her arms and closed her eyes as she jerked her head away. "And I told you I'm not sharing it with you."

"What's your problem? What, is your name embarrassing or something? Come on and tell me, I won't laugh."

Her eye twitched. "It's not embarrassing; I just don't want to tell you! I have a great name! It's sure better than yours' fish cake!"

"My name means 'maelstrom' and 'spiral', stupid!" The two got in each other's faces, sparks flying between their gazes before both turned their heads away and returned to their respective corners of the grove.

Neither said another word and after a few minutes, Naruto left, leaping through the trees and heading back to the village. The girl's face, etched in a cold, dispassionate expression for as long as he was present fell into a somber look once she was alone once more. Truthfully, she somewhat liked him. He seemed like a fun person to be around, and his reputation made it obvious what kind of person he was. Her heart actually lifted a little during the brief moment where they'd talked amiably.

But… when he found out who she really was, _what_ she really was, he'd turn on her just like everyone else. It wasn't worth getting close to him, letting him through the carefully constructed walls around her, just to get burned again.

The girl remained in the clearing until stars lit up the sky, and then returned to the village.

* * *

Naruto crossed his arms, his eyes scrunched up like a fox's and his mouth pressed in a thin line as he thought about the girl in the grove, sitting on his futon in the room Taki provided him and his sensei. Where'd she get off, mocking his name and favorite color? And the day had been going so well until then…

His face turned into a pensive one as he recalled the look on her face when he first saw her. What was she carrying around that made her push people away like that?

As he thought on this, his sensei slid open the shoji door and stepped inside, stretching his arms and closing his eyes as he let out a yawn. Rubbing the back of his head as he walked over to his futon on the other side of the room from the blonds' he noticed the expression on his face and grew curious.

"What's the matter, kid? I figured you'd be living up your hero status. Something bring you down?"

Naruto looked up at his sensei and shrugged. "Eh, it's nothing. Just some weird girl I met."

Jiraiya gave an eager, perverted grin as he rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Oh ho ho! So, you decided to take me up on my advice and find yourself a little girlfriend and got burned! Oh, don't worry kid, I've been there."

"W- what?" Naruto asked, completely caught off guard and taken aback by the perverted sage's assumption. "O- of course not!"

Jiraiya nodded to himself, inwardly amused by his student's reaction. "Don't bother denying it. I knew it was only a matter of time before you awakened to the joys of seeking out a beautiful woman. Maybe I'll take you along with me next time I feel like getting some research in."

"Don't even joke, I'm not like you, ya got that you old perv!?"

* * *

The green haired girl once again sat at the edge of the small lake in her little hiding spot as she stared into the setting sun's reflection in the water. With a sigh, her gaze turned to the sky, knowing any minute now a certain blond would once again intrude on her solitude.

The previous day, at almost the exact same time, he'd returned to the clearing and sat down in the same spot as the previous day, despite the fact that she'd made it clear she didn't want him there on the first day. It was so frustrating. No matter what how many times she told him to leave or what she said to get rid of him, he stayed right where he was and kept talking about whatever he felt like; their villages, ramen, his friends, ramen, orange, ramen, places he liked to go visit in his village, ramen...

It became very clear to her early on that he really liked ramen. A lot.

He also asked her about her friends, but she refused to answer that question. Especially since she had no friends.

That being said, he did manage to get her to speak up on some topics, mostly short, often biting responses in hopes that she'd get him to stop talking and leave, and she'd found they shared a few common interests. She'd been surprised to find out that the blond liked gardening and was actually well versed in plant life. That was part of the reason she liked the grove so much, not only was it away from the eyes of the people of her village… the eyes that stared down at her with such scorn… but also because she had a love of nature and plants. She also liked insects, something she'd accidentally let slip. She could name every type of insect found around the village and identify most on sight. While he didn't share that interest, he also didn't think it was creepy.

This seemed to spur the blond on, as talking about topics she liked gave brief glimpses of the side of her she kept hidden away from the world.

Why'd he have to be so persistent? Couldn't he see that she didn't want to talk to him? She didn't want to get close to him, just so he could turn away when he discovered what she really was.

Hearing the rustling of leaves nearby, she turned her head slightly, looking in the direction of the disturbance with a single orange orb to see the blond step into the clearing, just as she suspected. He gave her a fox like smile before walking to his usual spot across from her and sitting down, just as he had the day before.

"You're back again." She said dully.

"Yep!" Naruto replied as he pulled out a scroll from one of his inside vest pockets, causing her to narrow her eyes in suspicion. She tensed slightly, ready for an attack, something he noticed but said nothing about. Though she was ready to fight, something about the smile on his face told her she need not worry.

Sure enough, in a poof of smoke, a pair of large rectangular packets emerged. She raised a brow as he tossed one to her. Catching it in one hand, she noticed it was cold to the touch. "Popsicles?"

Naruto nodded. "I was thinking this was a good place to enjoy a snack and figured you'd be here, so I brought an extra one. Good call, huh?" He asked as he opened his, revealing the orange treat.

The green haired girl sighed. "It just had to be orange, didn't it?" She wasn't going to turn down the snack, so she opened it and placed the frozen treat in her mouth, enjoying the taste.

"So, do have you had any interesting adventures since you've become a ninja?" Naruto asked, pointing his Popsicle at her.

She shrugged. "A few. Nothing like saving a village though."

"Want to share them?" He asked with a curious expression.

The girl let out sigh, leaning her head forward and shaking it in exasperation. "You're just not going to give up, are you?"

Naruto grinned in response. "You can't tell me you actually like being alone out here."

The girl sent him a slightly hostile glare. "Actually, I do. Look, if you're trying to be my buddy, then stop right there. I don't need a friend." She looked away, he gaze once more becoming somber. "I don't need anyone."

Naruto's expression became surprisingly serious as he stared at her. He knew what she was probably going through, even if he didn't know why. For whatever reason, the girl was isolated, either by choice or due to the contempt of those around her. Unlike the blond himself, who never gave up on forming new bonds and treated those he met as potential friends unless they were clearly not people he wanted to be around or until proven otherwise, she didn't want to risk being hurt and closed herself off.

Something he'd learned from his adventure in the Land of Vegetables, the first time he'd ever seen someone fighting alongside him die, and from reflecting on it, on Zabuza and Haku's fates and those of the people who died during the invasion was that life was too precious to waste. You could only live once, and you shouldn't spend it miserable or bogged down by pain, not if you can help it. Not to say he wasn't willing to kill his enemies or those trying to harm his precious people, especially the likes of Akatsuki, but it strengthened his resolve to change the way things were.

And now he was faced with someone who seemed consumed by the same pain of loneliness that he himself endured in his home, and because of that, he felt compelled to help her.

After a few moments, he replied, "You know, I've met a lot of people who like being alone… but I've never met anyone who enjoyed absolute solitude." His words surprised her and she stared into his surprisingly intense eyes, in contrast to the normal, cheery and relaxed look in them. His eyes spoke volumes of what he was feeling. They showed he had absolute conviction in his words… and that he was speaking from experience. "I once met two people who were so desperate for companionship that they followed evil people who used them, just to give them a purpose." He said, thinking of Haku and what he'd been told about Gaara and Lee's opponent during the ill fated Sasuke retrieval mission: Kimimaro. "I met a guy who was completely alone, and he came to hate the world so much he decided his purpose was to kill everyone, including his family. I'm not saying you're like them, but… can you honestly tell me you like having no one to talk to?"

The green haired girl turned her head away. She could say that she liked truly liked being isolated… but it'd be a lie. It was just that it was preferable to the alternative. Besides, no one in her village wanted to be close to her. She was almost universally shunned. Only her sensei, a few store owners and Shibuki really interacted with her in any way other than trying to drive her away or pretend she didn't exist. Shibuki did show her kindness… but he also obviously pitied her, something she didn't want, and most of the former individuals did so purely due to obligation, aside from a few exceptions. Naruto though… he didn't seem to pity her. She couldn't tell what, but something else seemed to make him want to talk to her.

What, did he have some messiah complex or something? Did he want to help everyone in need? Or was it something about her specifically?

"If you really like being alone that much, then tell me. If you'd really rather I not be here, I'll leave and you'll never have to see me again. But, what have you got to lose from talking to me?"

She seemed to contemplate his words. When she thought about it, not much. Sure, she could, no, almost certainly would get burned again, but what were the chances he'd discover what she was? The people of her village wouldn't leak information about their secret weapon of last resort, beyond even the hero's water, to someone from another village, not even to their hero.

And also… no matter how much she didn't want to, she did enjoy the company after being alone for so long. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and replied, "Fine, you win…" Naruto gave another fox like grin. She looked up at him with a resigned expression. "So, you wanted to know if there were any interesting missions I'd had? Well…"

She then told him about a mission she'd been on with her 'team', if she called them that. The objective had been to clear out a bandit camp, an apparent C-rank mission, but it turned out that they had been members of a slave ring and run by rogue shinobi. Her sensei had killed their leader while she took down his second. She'd even saved one of her teammates' lives… ungrateful bastard hadn't treated her much differently afterwards, but she didn't tell him that.

Naruto then shared the story of his mission to Wave with her. She was a little surprised that Taki wasn't the first time the blond had wound up embroiled in a battle over the fate of a country. She wouldn't have believed him, had he not been a hero in their village and if not for the way he spoke of it. He didn't boast or brag about it; in fact he seemed a little ashamed. At the end she saw why, a grave error in judgment, one that she could only call completely idiotic, had nearly cost him and his teammate their lives. They only survived because their opponent happened to be extremely kindhearted and took pity on them.

The girl actually reassured him after that, reminding him that it was his first serious mission and he wasn't ready for such a job yet. Besides, with what was apparently at his disposal at the time, there really wasn't much he could have done based on what she'd been told of their opponent; Haku's abilities. When asked how they got out of it, he responded that his sensei was able to bail them out.

Currently, the white clad kunoichi was laughing along with the blond, banging a fist against the rock as she held her stomach. They'd finished their frozen treats and had talked for so long that the sun had now completely set. The moon was high in the sky, surrounded by the sea of diamonds that was the stars.

Naruto was very happy with the response he got. Once he'd gotten her to admit that she enjoyed having someone to talk to and got her to ease down the walls around her, he found that deep down underneath the cold exterior she'd developed to protect herself, she carried an energetic and seemingly carefree, happy go lucky personality, much like his own.

He'd decided to regale her with the tales of his all time favorite pranks, like the time he'd managed to sneak sneezing powder into the Akimichi's food supply, or the time he infiltrated the haughty Hyuga clan compound and dyed all their underwear pink.

Let it be known that the Hyuga clan didn't use their Byakugan unless already aware of a threat. Understandable, but none the less a fact they no doubt regretted when a certain Uzumaki decided to pay them a visit.

"That's priceless! I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard!" The green haired girl said in between peels of laughter. She'd actually played a few pranks herself… but they were typically a lot more vindictive, and occasionally a distraction so she could steal food from a store that refused to sell to her as payback. There really weren't many other ways she could get them back for mistreating her without getting herself potentially hurt or killed. Finally getting herself under control, she looked at him with a single open eye, a tear welling up in its corner before she wiped it away. "You weren't kidding when you said that you'd pranked half the village! They must really hate you back there."

Naruto clammed up at that, suddenly taken back to his own childhood. The green haired girl noticed this and stopped laughing, looking at him with slight concern.

"What's wrong? Something I said?"

"No, I'm fine." Naruto replied with a more subdued smile than usual and a shake of his head. He wasn't one to burden others with his own problems unless he really couldn't shoulder them himself. Even if he was, if he told her how he was treated in his younger years, she'd ask why and he wasn't sure how he'd react to finding out he was a Jinchuriki.

The girl looked at him suspiciously before shrugging, deciding everyone had their own problems. "So, how'd that Neji guy take that stunt you pulled on his clan?"

He shrugged, grinning as he imagined how Neji had reacted, picturing the look of shock and then fury on his face. Really though, he'd probably reacted with a twitch of his eyebrow and a look of disdain. Still, getting reactions out of stoics like him and Sasuke was always the best. "Don't know. I hadn't met him yet."

The girl chuckled and shook her head. "You know, I've been wondering how our other saviors have been doing. I bet the three of you have been in all kinds of trouble." Naruto suddenly grew somber once again, staring into the water much like she'd done earlier when alone, causing her to frown.

"What'd I say now?"

Naruto turned to her and shook his head, "Nothing, you couldn't have known. I mean…" With a sigh, he looked back to the water, "Sakura's fine but… Sasuke betrayed our village."

"What!?" The girl responded, visibly taken aback. Naruto then explained what had happened, though he left a lot out, like how Sasuke stabbed him with his Chidori. The green haired girl wasn't sure what to think. She could understand that losing everyone you care about in one day could leave you a little crazy, and seeing the person responsible suddenly appear before your eyes probably wouldn't help your mental state, but to betray your village for power? Maybe if he'd been scorned by almost the entire place like she had been, like unknown to her Naruto had been, but to abandon all those who cared so much for you just to gain power? "Well if you ask me, you're better off without him then."

Naruto's head jerked in her direction, looking surprising angry about that. "How can you say that? If it was someone you cared about, would you just leave him to die like that?"

The girl frowned. "But from the sound of it, he doesn't care about any of you. He even admitted he couldn't have cared less that you're teammates might be dead because of his selfish need to get stronger for revenge. Why care about someone like that?"

"Because…" Naruto replied, looking up the sky. "… before we ran into Orochimaru and Itachi, we'd been getting along fine. Sure, we didn't exactly see eye to eye all the time… or even most of the time… but, him, me and Sakura had been close. I was an orphan. I grew up without a family, and they were the ones who filled the void. Sasuke… was the brother I never had." His ocean blue eye shifted, looking at her now. "If someone close to you was trying to throw their life away, just for something like revenge, would you let them do it?"

The girl looked downcast as her orange orb fell to the sky's reflection on the water. It was something else they had in common, she realized. Both grew up without a family. If she had someone who was like a sibling to her, after everything she'd been through… she'd never let them go. She'd do everything in her power to protect and save them.

"No, I wouldn't. Sorry I said that." She then smiled reassuringly at him. "Don't worry. If anyone can bring your friend back, it's you."

Naruto seemed slightly surprised by her response. "You think so?"

Giving him a wide grin, she replied, "Yeah, after all, you're the hero of Taki."

Naruto smiled back and the two turned to the sky, sitting in silence as the chirping of crickets filled the air. After a few minutes, Naruto stood.

"Well, I guess I should head back. See you… Oh." He said as if suddenly remembering something important. "You know, you never told me your name."

"Oh right. Sorry about that." The girl replied, rubbing the back of her head and smiling sheepishly. She then shifted her body back and leapt to her feet, holding out her hand while closing her eyes and giving him another wide grin. "The name's Fuu! It's been nice meeting you."

Naruto smiled as he shook her hand. "Same here, Fuu."

With that, he left, waving back at her as he took off through the trees. Fuu couldn't believe how happy she felt just from having a normal conversation with someone. A pang of pain echoed from her heart as she remembered that it wouldn't last. At best, he'd leave soon. At worst, though unless she told him the chance was slim, he might find out what she was and treat her like everyone else.

But it was so nice, having someone to break her loneliness… she decided she'd enjoy it while it lasted, however short that might be.

* * *

Shibuki let out a groan as he sat at his desk, letting his face fall forward into his hands. The news the Sannin had brought nearly a week ago was far graver than the young village leader could have imagined and at the moment, he was struggling to make a decision, one that was in the best interests of those lives entrusted to him, all of them.

Akatsuki. As the leader of the village, he'd heard that name before; a band of mercenaries made up of S-rank criminals from various nations, the likes of Itachi Uchiha; the man who single handedly exterminated his own clan, Orochimaru; a monster in human form guilty of more crimes against humanity than many would care to count, and Kisame Hoshigaki, the man with so much chakra he was known as 'The Biju without a Tail'. While certainly a formidable force, combined they'd likely be capable of causing serious damage to one of the great villages, if not outright destroying it, like those who'd hired them he'd never given a thought as to what their ambitions might be.

They were after the nine Biju for some unknown, likely malicious, purpose. Taki was the only minor village in possession of one of the Biju… and that made them a target. They were apparently lying dormant for the next few years, but if they saw an opportunity, they wouldn't hesitate to take it and there was no doubt that someday, Akatsuki would attack them.

One of the five great ninja villages might have the power to ward off their attacks, but a minor village like Taki had little chance. Remembering a tale he'd heard from his youth, of the damage Kakuzu, a single S-class missing ninja from his own village, one of only two shinobi of that level their village ever produced, had done when he turned on them, he dreaded to think what would happen if a pair of them came for their Jinchuriki.

The most likely outcome… would be the annihilation of Taki. In fact, he was somewhat certain that most of the members of such an organization would be capable of wiping out a small village like theirs' single handedly.

Simply giving them the Biju would be an obvious solution… but that would cost its Jinchuriki her life. Sacrificing her was something he was loathe to do and if it weren't a near certainty that they couldn't defend her, he wouldn't consider it. But he knew that some times, ethics and personal wants had to be sacrificed for the greater good, it was just part of being a shinobi.

But there were other complications. The loss of their Biju would hurt Taki's standing among villages, and they had no idea what it was that Akatsuki planned to do with them. Power like that in the hands of people like them could spell catastrophe for all the nations, including his own, and each one lost to them would only make them more dangerous.

Relying on allies wasn't really an option. He doubted Konoha would lend him that many powerful shinobi for the duration of the crisis, and they were too far away to respond before the damage was done. But if they couldn't defend themselves against the Akatsuki…

… What was the right decision to make?

Sitting up and spinning in his chair, he looked out at his beloved village and then craned his head to look at a picture of him and his father when he was just a boy.

'_What would you do if you were here now?_' He asked himself as if talking to the man.

With a sigh, he continued contemplating his dilemma. He'd have to inform the council… but before that, he felt he should tell the biggest victim in this mess.

* * *

Arguments abound through the walls of Taki's meeting room, a fairly simple room with a single round, short legged table which the many members of the village council sat around on the tatami mats while Shibuki, as the village leader, had a red pillow.

For the past ten minutes, the various members of the village leadership urged their own opinions on what should be done about the looming threat of the Akatsuki. As the young village head feared, they were largely split and couldn't offer any point of view he hadn't already considered.

Even at his worst, there had been a reason he was the leader of the village, beyond the fact that his father had been his predecessor.

A fist slammed upon the table, the sound cutting through the other voices and bringing attention to its owner, an old man, who glared at the other councilors as he said, "I don't understand what the issue here is. We should just give these Akatsuki the Nanabi and be done with it!"

Shibuki couldn't help but frown as that argument was brought up once again. Much to his dismay, most of his advisors seemed to favor that option, which is precisely what he'd feared when he knew he'd have to inform them. Quite frankly, part of him was surprised that the subject of their discussion hadn't left their village long ago.

"Are you out of your mind?" Another, a young woman with brown hair, argued in response. "We have no idea what they could do with that power!"

"What are the chances that they can do anything but create another Jinchuriki? It'll be years before they become a treat, if they do at all. Need I remind you neither of the girl's predecessors made much progress?" A middle aged man, who supported the elder, refuted. "For that very reason, keeping her around is little more than an empty threat."

"And you're suggesting we waste man power trying to protect her? Do you have any idea what monsters like them could do to our village?" An auburn haired man stated. "While I agree, we shouldn't simply give power like that to these monsters, we really have little recourse. Perhaps it would be better to trade her to another village or send her out in exile."

"Exiling her is the same as handing her over to them!" A fiery young woman with red hair and brown eyes, replied. "And what other village would take her?"

"Then what would you suggest?" The old man asked.

The young village leader had had enough. Honestly, he liked that option of giving her to another village the best. They'd benefit from it and would no longer be a target for Akatsuki, she'd be safe, and that way she might be able to find the happiness she'd never had in Taki. The problem is which village? Konoha? They were allies and it was supposedly the strongest village, but he wasn't sure how they treated their Jinchuriki. It was likely they weren't well liked there after the invasion and the Kyuubi's attack. Kumo? To his knowledge she'd be treated best there, but they were one of the most untrusting of the villages and would likely kill the Jinchuriki and place the Nanabi in someone whose loyalties they could be sure of. Iwa, as they'd experienced in the past, would probably double cross them… he'd heard of Gaara and could only imagine what had made him that way, that was all that needed to be said about Suna, not to mention that they had yet to find a suitable candidate for the Fifth Kazekage, and Kiri had no allies at the moment and was the weakest of the major villages due to their civil war and the loss of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.

"I believe it would be best if we considered our options before arguing any further." Shibuki said, raising his hand to get everyone's attention. "I've already considered most of what's been said here. Let's reconvene tomorrow and discuss this further. While there is a threat on the horizon, we have time before they become active. Let's make sure we make the best choice for the sake of our village."

As the group prepared to leave, all considering what was in store for their village, no one noticed a fly on the wall. On the other side of the village, a pair of orange eyes, fear and hurt clear in their depths, blinked away tears as their owner severed her connection with the insect before retreating from the village.

* * *

Fuu stared lifelessly into the waters of her favorite hiding place, her face blank but a single look into the dull depths of her usually bright orange orbs would make it clear to anyone that what the girl was feeling: absolute despair.

As if her life wasn't already bad enough, she just found out an organization of S-rank missing ninja were after her and those like her. And the leadership of Taki, with the exception of Shibuki, was seriously considering just giving her to them…

Anger briefly flared into her eyes as her hand clenched. Part of her couldn't help but hate Taki and the people in it. They put her through hell, and why? Because she happened to have been chosen for the 'honor' of being the village's Jinchuriki. She could still remember the day her life changed forever. They'd dragged her from the village orphanage when she was only four years old because the previous Jinchuriki had lost control during a failed attempt to master the Nanabi's chakra. Because she had no family to suffer for it, and Shibuki was already considered too old to make a suitable Jinchuriki, she was selected to be its new host. While her mistake had cast Fuu's life into darkness, she couldn't really blame her predecessor for it. After all, she'd died horribly for her mistake, though she didn't mourn her beyond that if she'd lived, she'd have had a chance at a normal, happy life.

It was much easier to blame the person who'd condemned her to a life of suffering: Shibuki's father… but he'd spent the rest of his life trying to make up for it before he'd died for the village. Shibuki had done a lot to continue his father's efforts to help her, so she couldn't bring herself to truly hate him either.

Her eyes dulled again as her thoughts returned to the here and now, and her inevitable fate. Part of her was surprised that the village leaders hadn't all just wanted to give her to Akatsuki. They couldn't even stop Suien! While strong by Taki's standards, he wouldn't hold a candle to most of the renowned jonin of the great ninja villages. She knew it, they knew it, and so what were they going to do against monsters like Itachi Uchiha?

And how would she get strong enough to defend herself when no one in Taki wanted to teach her except Shibuki, who was too busy to help more than every once in a blue moon?

The great villages had the power to defend their Jinchuriki, provided they wanted to… but for a Jinchuriki in a minor village like her… this was a death sentence. Unless they sent her to another village, which would probably not improve her life even slightly, they'd either give her up, exile her, or try and certainly fail to defend her.

Besides, no matter how they treated her, Taki was still her home, and she still had fond memories from those first few years of life, before she'd become a Jinchuriki, that she clung to. She didn't want to see it destroyed, and that's what would likely happen if they tried to protect her.

Hearing rustling nearby, she looked up and saw the blond walk into the grove once more.

"Hey there, Fuu! How've you been?" Naruto said with a grin, which dropped as he saw the solemn expression on her face.

"Hey, Naruto." She answered dully.

The blond frowned. "What's wrong?"

The girl sighed, tilting her head forward and closing her eyes. "It's…" She considered telling him the truth in hopes that maybe, just maybe he might accept her and could offer her some advice, or at the very least comfort. But she shook her head, too afraid of rejection to take that chance. "… nothing I want to talk about. Actually, I don't feel like talking at all today. Could you just… sit here with me?"

The Uzumaki's expression showed concern but he decided to accept her wish. "Yeah, no problem." He said, taking a spot beside her. Fuu's eyes rose to the setting sun. She was truly glad that she hadn't succeeded when she tried to push Naruto away. He was the first friend she'd ever had, not counting the ones who'd turned on her after she became a Jinchuriki. His presence eased her heart, if only a little.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Fuu asked without taking her eyes off the horizon.

"You bet it is." Naruto said, turning to the green haired girl with a grin. "Look at it, the sky's orange!"

Fuu couldn't help but chuckle. "You really love that color don't you?" She asked, shaking her head.

"Well, it is my favorite color." Naruto replied. "But I've seen some amazing things in white too."

The female Jinchuriki smirked at that, looking at the blond out of the corner of her eye. "Orange isn't such a bad color either."

Once more, the two enjoyed a comfortable silence, sitting back and looking at the dusk sky in the peaceful little grove. After a few more minutes, Naruto closed his eyes before turning to her with an unreadable expression. "Fuu… me and my sensei are going to be leaving tomorrow."

Fuu stiffened at his side before relaxing, hiding her face from him. "Oh." Was all she said.

With a reassuring smile, Naruto replied. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to come visit whenever I'm in the country."

'_Don't bother._' She thought as she came to a decision regarding her fate. '_I won't be here._' But instead of voicing this, she simply nodded before standing. "I think I'm going to head back early today." She said as she began walking away.

"Ok, see ya." Naruto replied, looking after her with a concerned expression, worried about her sudden shift in demeanor, but knowing she wouldn't share her troubles with him. He turned back to the water until he heard her call out to him.

"Naruto?" He turned to look at the girl, who was giving him a smile. A warm, truly thankful smile. "Thank you… for being here."

The blond Jinchuriki had a similar expression as he replied. "I'm your friend, Fuu. If you need me, just ask. I'll come running."

The green haired girl nodded and disappeared into the trees, leaving the blond alone in the clearing for the first time. Once alone, his face became a mask of worry. That change of demeanor practically screamed that something was wrong and her last words to him sounded like a good bye… an eternal one. What was it that was troubling her? Furrowing his brows, he decided that he'd have to find her again before he left.

* * *

That night, as the rest of the village slept, Fuu stood on her own at the edge Taki's lake, looking out on the village for what she was sure would be the last time, taking a deep breath as she steeled her resolve on her decision. On her back was a large, cylindrical object about three quarters her size, wrapped in red cloth which was tied over his shoulders and under her arms. Her forehead protector was absent from its usual spot on her arm.

No matter how she felt about its people, no matter how they treated her or how much she felt the village as a whole didn't deserve her loyalty, this was her birth place. She wouldn't watch it be destroyed by a group of monsters trying to get to her.

So if the village wanted to be rid of her, then fine, they'd never have to see her again. That time she'd spent with Naruto… had been the happiest time of her life since she'd become a Jinchuriki. If she left, if she went to places where it wasn't known what she was, she could enjoy meeting new people who wouldn't treat her like a monster and making new friends. And then… when Akatsuki came for her… at least they wouldn't destroy Taki.

Of course, she'd train during her journey, and she'd make them work for the demon sealed inside her, but she didn't like her chances. Then again, her chances weren't much better if she stayed in Taki anyway.

So she'd get to enjoy a few years of real freedom, and Taki wouldn't suffer once Akatsuki moved. Everyone wins… except her really. But then, she never did when it came to life.

'_So much for seven being a lucky number._' She thought to herself with a bitter smile. '_But…_' She thought of Naruto. '_Maybe, for once, I did have some good luck._'

Turning around, she stared up into the canopy of Taki's sacred tree, small glimpses of moonlight shining through the leaves. Before she found the grove, she used to spend her time hiding among its branches, looking down at the village. She'd spent a while in her old hiding spot one last time. Her home really was a beautiful place.

Finally, she tore her gaze away from the tree before leaping into the water, diving down and into the tunnels leading out of the village.

Unnoticed by her, an odd figure rose from the bark of Taki's sacred tree.

Anyone who happened to lay eyes on this person would likely never forget him, standing out even more than Jiraiya of the Sannin. He had short, green hair the same shade as grass and yellow eyes. Oddly, he was encased in what looked like a massive Venus flytrap and his body was split down the middle, one half perfectly white, the other purely black, even his sclera, leaving the dark half's irises its only distinguishing feature.

However, what was most troubling about this figure was his attire. A long, black cloak emblazoned with red clouds; the uniform of Akatsuki.

"**Well, this in interesting.**" The black half of the odd being spoke alone in monotone as it looked down into the waters, still rippling in the wake of the village's Jinchuriki.

"Aren't the zombie twins nearby? She's their target, think we should tell them?" The white half asked in a tone displaying its interest.

"**Of course.**" The black half responded with a hint of condescension. "**We could only benefit from capturing one or two of them early.**"

* * *

**And let's stop here.**

**Hope you liked it and please review.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't have much to say, and since I know you're all anxious to see how this turns out, let's just get to the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Shibuki walked through the walls of his home, wearing a robe as he made his way, half asleep, to his kitchen, wearing a brown bed robe. He'd pulled an all-nighter trying to decide what to do with their latest crisis and had wound up too tired to even make himself a bite to eat before bed.

This was coming back to bite him now, as his empty stomach had woken him up in the middle of the night.

He rubbed the back of his head as he made his way to his fridge, but as his eye wandered the hall, something down at the entrance way caught his eye, a small white object on the ground.

Frowning, he made his way to the door and picked it up, raising a brow when he saw it was a letter.

With a shrug, he tore open the top and unfolded the paper, reading over its contents. After a certain point, his eyes shot open and he gripped the sheet with both hands, now fully awake as he frantically read through the rest. "This is…!"

* * *

Jiraiya and Naruto were awakened by a frenzied knocking at the door of their room. Getting up from his futon as Naruto rose across the room, Jiraiya made his way to the door, covering his mouth as he yawned.

Naruto stretched and let out a yawn of his own before rubbing his right eye as his other, half closed blue looked to the door, fighting the urge to just lay back and let his sensei deal with whatever it was that had awoken them.

But, curious, he watched as Jiraiya opened the door to reveal a slightly panicked Shibuki wearing his ninja gear.

Jiraiya frowned, knowing this was serious. Naruto too shook off his lingering fatigue as he wondered what the problem was.

"Lord Shibuki?" Jiraiya spoke. "You know, I hate to be rude, but do you know what time it is? What's the trouble?"

"Believe me, I wouldn't be here if this wasn't a serious problem." Shibuki answered quickly. "I've just had to call an emergency meeting of the village's council. I'd hate to ask, but we need your help."

Jiraiya nodded. "Alright, just cut to the chase."

Shibuki reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper, handing it to the Sannin. "I woke up half an hour ago to find this underneath my door."

Arching an eyebrow, Jiraiya took the sheet of paper and read it over, his eyes widening in shock as he reached the end. "That's…!" After a moment, his hands clenched, wrinkling the paper. "Damn it! That little fool!"

Naruto rose to his feet and walked over to the two adults, looking up at them both with a serious, if slightly curious expression. "What's the problem, Pervy Sage."

Turning to his student, Jiraiya responded, "Apparently, their Jinchuriki just ran away."

Both Shibuki and Naruto's expressions became masks of shock, Naruto's at the revelation and Shibuki's for how easily Jiraiya shared that bit of information. "What!? Wait a minute, Taki has a Jinchuriki!?"

Shibuki gave an affirmative. "We're the only minor village in possession of one of the Biju: the Nanabi no Kabutomushi: the Seven Tailed Horned Beetle."

"It's the reason we came here." Jiraiya added, bringing his hand to his forehead and shaking his head. "I wanted to personally warn Shibuki here about the threat."

"Apparently, our Jinchuriki felt that, in this situation, we were better off without her." The village leader responded, looking down to his feet and clenching his fists as he thought of the girl, and how he'd failed her.

Naruto felt a cold sense of dread resonate through his being at Shibuki's words, his shock giving way to fear as a sinking feeling grew in the pit of his stomach. '_Her?_' He thought of his newest friend, the green haired kunoichi, who had been so troubled the other day. Who had been so lonely before they'd met. She couldn't be… "Who is she?" He asked, his heart already knowing the answer.

With a sigh, Shibuki replied, "A girl around your age named Fuu."

Naruto couldn't resist taking in a sharp breath as suddenly, everything about the girl made sense. She really experienced the same things he had. The same scorn, the same loneliness. They were more alike than either of them had realized.

And now she was rushing off to what was almost certainly her death. His fear gave way to anger and sorrow at her decision to throw her life away. His face twisting in anger and desperation, he shouted at the village leader, "Are you serious!? What the hell is she thinking!? Is she completely out of her mind, how could she just up and leave!? Especially at a time like this!?"

"Naruto!" Shibuki interrupted, slamming his fist against a wall as he felt helpless. Even if they weren't very close, Fuu was a shinobi of his village, one whose suffering he felt partially responsible for. He'd done everything he could over the years to help her, but he couldn't make the villagers like her, or convince the children not to fear her. "Don't you understand the sacrifice she's trying to make for us?"

Naruto frowned as Shibuki's arm fell to his side, his gaze once more falling to the floor as his expression became solemn.

"She knows exactly what she's getting herself into, but she's doing what she believes is for the best of the village. I can see you know what a Jinchuriki is, so I'd guess you know what kind of treatment they endure. She grew up completely alone, hated for something that she had no power over, and even so… even so she left, knowing what her chances were, for the sake of our village."

"But…" Naruto asked, the emotion clouding his mind preventing him from seeing what Fuu had realized. "Why would she just give up like that?"

"Think about it, Naruto… remember what Suien managed to do to our village?" Shibuki asked and Naruto's eyes widened as he finally put things together. "Do you remember what I told you when I was still guarding the hero's water? We're a small nation, and even he, our best jonin, paled in comparison to the likes of your sensei, or your past one, Kakashi Hatake. And yet, he was able to dominate our village with just a few chunin rank ninja. Even with the hero's water, I couldn't stop him. We needed help from you and your village to save us. What do you think monsters like the Akatsuki would do?"

The village leader closed his eyes tightly and tilted his head forward. "Since I found out, we've been struggling to decide how to face this threat. We don't have the power to defend Fuu… and most of my advisors wanted to simply give her to them…"

Naruto's expression shifted to shock, and then twisted in rage, gritting his teeth and resisting the urge to growl. Jiraiya had told him what would happen to a Jinchuriki once their Biju was removed. After everything they put her through, they were planning to basically kill her just to protect themselves?

"Fuu has the ability to control insects thanks to the Nanabi… she can even temporarily link her senses with them. I guess she listened in on our meeting and decided to make our decision for us." Shibuki finished his explanation before looking to Naruto.

"In her letter, she mentioned you. She asked me to tell you not to worry about her, and to let you know she was glad she got to know you. She said to tell you, you were her first real friend." Shibuki walked towards Naruto, who seemed surprised by what the girl had said about him, soon standing directly in front of him. "Seeing how you haven't judged her for what she is, you really are the kind of person I thought you were. Please," He said with a slight bow. "I don't know how I'm going to handle this, and I know it's not my place to ask, but… please, find her. I've tried my best to help her, but I couldn't be there for her as often as I should have, and I can't help her now. If there's anything you can do to help her…"

Naruto, with a more serious expression than Shibuki had ever seen on the normally exuberant blond, replied, "Don't worry. There's no chance in hell I'm going to let her throw her life away like this. Besides…" He began, turning to his things. "I know what it's like to suffer for something you have no control over, and what it means to be completely alone. I'm not going to leave her like this."

Shibuki looked slightly relieved, though he didn't know how he could know what she'd experienced, he was thankful he was going to do something. He'd have to meet with the council. He could send his shinobi, but somehow he didn't think that was a good idea.

Naruto walked to his bags and pulled out a scroll before turning to his sensei, who was watching the exchange with his arms crossed. "Let's hurry, Pervy Sage."

With a smirk, the Sannin replied, "You don't have to tell me twice. Besides, even if I was willing to let Akatsuki get closer to their goal, this master I am of the ways of the shinobi and the wiles of women, I would never allow a young lady to sacrifice herself like this."

* * *

Fuu bounded through the trees as she traveled through the forest at a fast, but reasonable pace, trying to put as much distance between her and Taki as she could. While she doubted they'd come looking for her, on the off chance they did she wanted to get as much of a head start on them as she could.

Her gaze trailed up to the moon, hovering in the sky above her, once more reflecting on her life. For the first time since she'd become a Jinchuriki she had true freedom. She didn't have to worry about being glared at or about people whispering behind her back. She didn't have to know everyone around her wished she was dead or gone.

She could do anything. She could go anywhere.

Or at least, she could for around two years.

Her face hardened. She wouldn't think about that. For now, she'd just enjoy her newfound freedom. Once she was sure she was away from Taki and had adjusted to her freedom, she'd come up with a plan and start getting herself ready for when the Akatsuki came after her.

Her eyes widened as she sensed something wrong. Her innate link with insects allowed her to easily detect when there was something wrong with their behavior, and right now they were agitated. Antsy. Something they didn't like was approaching.

She stopped and closed her eyes, placing her hand on a branch and focusing her chakra. Various insects, from gnats and flies to mosquitoes and even a praying mantis, gathered around her hand. Her head jerked in a seemingly random direction as they informed her of what was upsetting them.

Two individuals with very disturbing chakra, one of which's signature the insects described as disgusting, were coming in her direction.

Quickly deciding she needed to get as far away as possible, she took off once again.

* * *

Naruto ran out from behind the waterfall, followed by Jiraiya, who immediately ripped the blindfold off of his face and threw it into the waters of the river, more than a little annoyed that they'd stalled him with that formality under such circumstances.

Really, did they realize how easy it would be for him to infiltrate the village if he really wanted to? Yeah, he was sure that there were many different underwater tunnels, many with dead ends, but he could easily summon a toad and have the little amphibian seek out the correct route. It was basically just a waste of time, one he normally respected, but in this case…

But this was no time to dwell on an annoyance. They needed to find the Nanabi Jinchuriki as quickly as possible.

Once again able to see the world around him, he looked to his student who had bit his thumb and was making hand signs the moment that he stepped beyond the waterfall.

The blond raised his hand and called out, "Summoning Jutsu!" as he slammed his palm onto the ground.

During their training, Jiraiya had helped the blond become more acquainted with the toads and their abilities. Toads naturally had a strong sense of smell, and among the toads of , the home of the toad summons, there was a species that had a unique talent with not only tracking via smell, but also other methods.

One of the aptly named tracker toads, an average sized green toad with yellow markings appeared before the blond in a cloud of smoke, looking up at him and giving a salute as the Jinchuriki pulled out a scroll and unraveled it.

"Heya, Naruto. What'd you need?" The toad asked as Naruto made a hand sign. In a poof of smoke, a forehead protector of Taki appeared.

"We need to find the girl this belongs to, ASAP!" Naruto answered, holding it before the toad. It took a whiff of the cloth before jumping away as Naruto pocketed it.

The small toad sampled the air for a few moments before turning to its summoner. "Ok, I got it. She went that way." It said, pointing in the direction the girl had fled in.

"Thanks! I owe you some candy when this is over." Naruto said, picking up the little amphibian and placing on his shoulder. "Now, let's go! Come on, Pervy Sage!" With that, he immediately jumped to the branches in a single bound and bolted off in the direction the toad had indicated.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Jiraiya replied as he joined his student.

* * *

It was official, whoever the owners of those vile chakra signatures were, they were targeting her. Given by the extremely large reserves both had, the fact that she, a Jinchuriki, was their target, and the fact that they were in a group of two, she had quickly guessed, fearfully, the identity of her hunters.

Akatsuki. She'd guessed they'd either come for her early or had somehow already learned of her self imposed exile and had decided to take advantage of the situation.

Fuu cursed her luck, something she had done in the past more times than she cared to count. Why her? She hadn't even had an hour to enjoy her freedom before she was being chased by the very group that had spurred her decision to leave in the first place! And based on what her insects were telling her, they were gaining on her. It wouldn't be long before they had her cornered

Closing her eyes, she sent a mental command to the insects under her control. Suddenly, a swarm of beetles, a distant cousin to the kikaichu used by the Aburame, flew out of the large cylinder on her back. The object served as a hive for her insects, which, nourished by her chakra and the traces of the Nanabi's power within, quickly developed into more powerful and dangerous species, able to draw out chakra faster than their cousins used by the Konoha clan and, unlike them, able to transfer the chakra they took to others.

She'd toyed with the idea of trying to control the mutations, but had yet to actually attempt to do so. It was something she'd thought of exploring during her training over the next two years.

Now, it looked like she might not get the chance.

Directing the insects to form a duplicate of her, she sent it back to stall for time. It wasn't long before she felt the insect clone die. Unlike shadow clones, she didn't receive its memories, so she had no new information about her hunters.

It was only a few minutes later that a red, triple bladed scythe burst from the dense foliage. Fuu barely managed to duck in time for the weapon to sail over her head, before her eyes widened as she saw the metallic cord attached to the scythe's base.

Just as she noticed this, she saw the cord tighten. Knowing what was coming, she leapt into the air as the weapon was pulled back, flipping in mid air as a hidden mechanism in her armlets released two kunai, which she threw after the weapon, only to hear a 'thunk' as the daggers embed themselves in the bark of a tree out of sight.

She fell to the ground and landed on her feet in a crouch, adopting a fighting stance as her insects went into a flurry of activity, warning her of the two individuals before her.

"Ah, look at that, she dodged it. This one's pretty good, for a runt." One of the attackers said as they stepped out of the forest undergrowth. Much to Fuu's dismay, both were indeed wearing the distinctive uniform of the Akatsuki organization.

The speaker was holding the scythe she'd just dodged over his shoulder. He had medium length, slicked back silver hair and purple eyes, his face etched into a cocky smirk as he regarded his target. His cloak was open, allowing her to see the odd silver necklace he wore: a equilateral, circumscribed triangle, beneath the slashed forehead protector of his home village, which Fuu recognized as the now disbanded village of Yugakure, now a simply resort town.

The other, Fuu was surprised to see, was from her own village if the slashed forehead protector, which was in its proper place, was any indication. Odd, she didn't know of any S-class ninja from recent years from Taki. He was a tall, deeply tanned man with distinctive green pupil-less eyes with red sclera. He wore a white hood and a black mask, leaving only his eyes and the area around them visible.

"You picked a bad time to flee your village, little girl." The shinobi from her village said. "Although, I suppose I should thank you. You made things easier for us, though I would have liked to have had to go through Taki to reach you."

'_That's part of the reason I left…_' Fuu thought to herself as she took a step back to get in a better position to dodge if need be.

"Hey, Nanabi." The shinobi from Yugakure called, causing Fuu's face to twist in anger as she bristled at being referred to as her tenant. "Can you do me a favor and just come quietly?"

Fuu was almost surprised out of her stance by that. "… What?"

The man held out his hand in an explanatory gesture. "You see, I'm a faithful follower of Lord Jashin. My religion demands the complete slaughter of those before me. Now, this is a fucking problem for me, cause we have to take you alive. I'm a very religious person and I hate to have to break my tenets. So, think could we skip the fighting and cut to the chase?"

"So, let me get this straight. You're asking me to just give myself up and let you guys kill me? Hmm… Let me think about it." Fuu replied in obvious sarcasm despite her deadpan expression, even cupping her chin in mock thought before pointing at him. "What, are you stupid!? Of course not!"

"I've asked that question more times than I care to count." The ex Taki nin said to the Jinchuriki, shaking his head, not sure whether to feel amused by his quarry or annoyed at his teammate.

The Yugakure ninja whirled on his partner. "Shut the fuck up, Kakuzu! Who's side are you on!?"

Fuu gasped at the name, her face becoming a mask of shock and slight fear. Kakuzu? He couldn't be _the _Kakuzu, could he? She knew of only one shinobi from her village named Kakuzu. A man who, around 70 years ago, back when the villages were still consolidating their powers and before Konoha had given Taki the Nanabi as a peace offering and established the balance of power, had been their most prominent shinobi. One of only two S-rank ninja ever produced by their village. He'd been sent, along with a squad of the village's best and brightest to assassinate the First Hokage. Success would not only grant Taki renown, it would destabilize the village, perhaps resulting in a power vacuum Taki could fill.

Needless to say, it had been a complete disaster. Hashirama Senju wasn't known as the Second God of Shinobi for nothing. He'd single handedly annihilated the group like they were raw genin and Kakuzu was the sole survivor. He'd had managed to drag himself back to Taki, barely alive. Granted, he'd failed a vital mission, but the battle showed that there was simply too big a difference in power and skill for it to have had any chance of success. Besides, until then, he'd never failed a mission or refused a job. He'd been a completely loyal, devoted ninja of the village.

And how had he been rewarded? He was thrown in prison for failing an impossible task. He responded to this betrayal by breaking out, stealing one of Taki's most forbidden techniques, killing the village leaders and departing from the village, leaving a trail of blood in his wake as he crushed all who tried to stop him.

And now, the man himself was standing before her. If he was an S-class ninja then, and he now had 70 more years of experience under his belt, how strong was he now?

Fuu felt a new trickle of fear run down her spine. Kakuzu was literally a boogieman in Taki. Parents would actually use his story, and the fact that he was never captured, to scare children into obeying, saying if they were bad, Kakuzu would return and wreak his vengeance upon the village…

She'd been told he'd one day specifically come after her back at the orphanage. Though she'd stopped believing such tales long ago, it seemed to have become a reality.

"K- Kakuzu…?" Fuu questioned. "No way. You can't be Kakuzu! You'd have to be 90 years old!"

"Ah, looks like she's heard of you, eh Kakuzu?" The Yugakure shinobi asked before grinning at the girl. "Hate to break it to you, but he's the real thing. You're looking at a pair of immortals!"

"Bah." Kakuzu scoffed. "How many times have I told you, Hidan. There's no such thing as immortality."

"Heh, yeah yeah." The now named Hidan waved him off before reaching for his necklace. "Well, if we're going to do this, will you let me pray for forgiveness first?" He asked as he raised the triangular pendant to his lips and closed his eyes in prayer.

Fuu stared dumbfounded at him as Kakuzu turned and glared. "Do you always have to pray before battle? Your religion is grating on my nerves."

"Hey, stop griping!" Hidan shot back. "I'm not happy about it either, but I have to do it!"

During this exchange, Fuu had had her insects quietly crawl out of their hiding spot, down her body to burrow into the ground. She doubted that she was any match for the two in front of her… but she wasn't going to just quietly go off to die.

"All right." Hidan said, dropping his pendant and hefting his scythe. "Leave this one to me, Kakuzu."

"Hmph." Kakuzu replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "Do whatever you want. Just don't complain to me if you lose a limb because you're careless."

"Don't worry." Hidan chuckled as he ran the blade of his weapon along his hand, creating a deep cut and allowing the blood to pour out to the ground. "A runt like her couldn't take me out. And if she could, I'd let her." He stepped into the puddle of blood and smeared it into the pattern of the symbol of the Jashin religion.

Sensing her trap was set, Fuu's gaze hardened. Holding out her hand, she called upon moisture in the air for Taki's signature technique, the only jutsu that would do so without the need for immense skill in the element.

In her hand, a long sword made of water formed. Fuu swept the blade out and got into a sword stance as Hidan smirked. The green haired Jinchuriki couldn't help but feel a chill down her spine as she thought to herself that this would probably be her last fight, but she remained calm. After all, ninja were used to battles of life and death.

Focusing as much chakra as she could into her limbs, Fuu leapt at the Akatsuki member as he did the same, their weapons clashed against each other with a clang, as if metal had collided with metal.

Hidan deftly swung his scythe with swift, rapid attacks that almost resembled a dance and the green haired Jinchuriki quickly found herself on the defensive. She was forced to block and dodge the large blades, but soon, Hidan found an opening and knocked her weapon out of the way with an upward move of his weapon, leaving her defenseless as he brought his scythe down.

Fortunately, Fuu tore her left hand away from her blade and summoned a second water blade, batting the weapon away and using the momentum from her movement to unleash a sweeping kick, which Hidan leapt back to dodge.

Fuu planted both her feet flat on the ground the moment her rotation came to an end and launched herself at the missing nin, who threw his scythe at her. The green haired Jinchuriki ducked under the weapon and continued her assault, only for her eyes to widen as the weapon was pulled back. She leapt to the side to avoid the weapon as Hidan jumped toward her, catching his weapon and using the momentum to unleash a powerful, spinning attack.

Fuu ducked under the weapon, but couldn't dodge when Hidan extended his leg, his foot colliding with her cheek and sending her to the ground. Fuu let herself roll before shifting her body and leaping back to her feet as Hidan charged towards her.

The Yugakure ninja slammed the shaft of the weapon against Fuu's water sword before pulling back, causing Fuu to twist her body in order to avoid the blades before leaping into the air when Hidan tried to sweep her feet out from beneath her.

Hidan moved to follow her, when Fuu sucked in a breath, causing her chest to puff out a bit before exhaling, releasing a golden, sparkling substance. '_Secret Ninja Art: Scale Camouflage!_'

"What the f- Ah!" Hidan shielded his eyes as the powder consumed him, suddenly becoming so bright it was like a golden colored flash bomb had gone off in his face. Fuu immediately dropped the weapon in her left hand, the weapon breaking down into water before it hit the ground, and called a kunai with a paper bomb to her hand in its place before throwing it where Hidan had been.

She heard him yell yelp in surprise when the weapon dug into his shoulder. Fuu's mouth curled into a slightly bloodthirsty smirk as she thought to herself that that was the least of his worries. Making a one handed hand seal, she detonated the weapon.

Now, what Hidan was unaware of, which wouldn't be the case if he'd asked Kakuzu about the Nanabi's abilities beforehand, was that that powder he was currently enveloped in was combustible… highly combustible. The blast from the tag ignited the cloud, trapping Hidan in a massive explosion, painting the area red with its light and sending out a brief glow that could be seen from quite the distance and creating cracks through the earth around it.

Fuu waited as she watched the cloud of smoke created by the blast, summoning another water sword again as she prepared to counter, doubting that that was enough.

"Little bitch!" The scythe once again. Fuu knocked it aside, pausing to allow Hidan to pull it back so there wouldn't be any nasty surprises coming at her from behind. Sure enough, Hidan, the left side of his coat torn off, revealing her wore nothing but pants underneath, and much of his exposed chest along with half of his face red from burns, the wound he'd been given seared shut by the heat of the blast, burst from the cloud, pulling his weapon back.

'_Now!_' Fuu called out mentally. The explosion had had a dual purpose. The first was obvious, to injure the Akatsuki member, the second was to loosen the soil so that her insects could move more freely. That, combined with all their tunneling through the ground and…

As the missing nin's foot stepped on the ground, it suddenly collapsed underneath him, throwing him off balance as a swarm of insects came out of the torn earth.

Seeing her trap go off, Fuu charged, pulling back her arm holding her sword to spear Hidan through the heart. '_I've got him!_'

"Don't get cocky!" Hidan spun rapidly to get rid of the beetles clinging to him before leaping back to escaping the approaching cloud of insects and throwing out his weapon, using it like a whip to cut through the swarm and sending Fuu rolling on the ground to avoid the attack.

As Kakuzu watched, his eyes suddenly turned in another direction, sensing a presence. He considered doing something, but decided against it. This might teach his partner a lesson.

The moment Hidan landed he launched himself at the Jinchuriki again, pulling the cord to bring the weapon down on top of her. Fuu leapt back to dodge as Hidan leapt into the air, grabbing the weapon and spinning into another attack.

Fuu managed to duck under the weapon again, but was caught in the side by another sweeping kick from Hidan, sending her crashing to the ground once again. Hidan raised his weapon to strike at her before and she prepared to attempt to roll out of the way, but suddenly, a fuma shuriken, surrounded by wind chakra, came flying through the air towards the Akatsuki member, tilting vertically and running along the ground, creating a cloud of debris as it cut through the earth.

"What?" Hidan leapt backwards to avoid the weapon as Fuu's eyes widened when a familiar, blond figure appeared before her in a body flicker before launching himself through the cloud and towards Hidan.

The missing nin couldn't raise his weapon to defend in time as Naruto pulled his hand back, forming an orb of chakra, before slamming it into Hidan's stomach. "Rasengan!"

Hidan cried out in pain as the sphere of pure energy tore into him, leaving a deep, spiral pattern in his reddened flesh before finally exploding, causing massive internal damage and sending him flying through the air towards his partner, who sidestepped him, and out of the clearing, slamming into a bark of a tree out of sight.

Fuu looked up in shock as Naruto stood between her and the Akatsuki, glaring in the direction of the missing nin.

"N- Naruto?"

Kakuzu frowned, but then his eyes shot open as he sensed another presence directly behind him. He turned his head just in time to see Jiraiya of the Sannin slam an orb identical to the one the blond just used into his back.

Without so much as a grunt, Kakuzu was pushed down and slammed into the ground, the force of Jiraiya's attack creating a dust cloud that obscured them both before he leapt out, turning in the air and landing beside his student.

"So, these guys are Akatsuki…" Jiraiya commented before smirking. "They don't seem so tough, compared to those two from before." He said, though he remained in a combat stance, ready to fight.

"Naruto?" Fuu asked again as she rose to her feet. This time, with his sensei there and their opponents seemingly down for the count, Naruto turned to her. "W- what are you doing here!? Do you have any idea what you've gotten yourself into!?"

The blond turned to face her, anger clear on his features. Not at truly at her, but how she was trying to throw her life away with this stunt. "Of course I do! What were you thinking running off and dealing with this by yourself!?"

Fuu's eyes widened. He knew… but… he couldn't. That would mean he… knew she was a Jinchuriki? And didn't care? After everything she'd been through, she found herself unwilling to believe what she was seeing. "I have to!" She cried, "Do you have any idea what these guys could do to Taki!?" Her uncertainty showed on her face as she stared up at him. "Why… why would you risk yourself against people like this to help me?"

Naruto's expression softened at that. With a slight smile, he said, "I told you, I'm your friend. Do you think I'd just stand by and let you throw your life away like this?" Fuu's eyes widened at that. "And," He began, turning around to face their enemies. "You're not the only one who knows that hell called loneliness… I know what you've been through, first hand. Besides… these guys are my problem too."

Fuu stared at him in disbelief. How could he know what she'd been through? How could he even hope to understand… then when she heard his next words, she froze. '_I- is he saying…? He couldn't be…_'

Suddenly, all three of their senses screamed danger. All three leapt backwards as thick, black threads burst from the ground, threatening to ensnare them. They evaded the attack to see Kakuzu rise to his feet, his cloak falling to the ground, revealing a vest matching his pants.

"Jiraiya of the Sannin." Kakuzu said as slowly rose to his feet, the threads that had just attacked them retreating back into his arms, which appeared to be stitched together like a ragdolls. His cloak had been destroyed, falling to the ground around him and revealing he wore a backless vest underneath it. His back was stitched together like his arms, with four Anbu-like masks sewed into his skin. Aside from his clothing damage, he looked no worse for wear. "Well, this is a surprise. Today seems to be my day, your prowess and actions as a spymaster have given you an enormous bounty."

"Damn it!" The other Akatsuki member cried as he emerged from the bushes, rolling his shoulders as he shrugged off the pain from the attack. "That hurt, you little shit! Where the fuck did you come from?"

Naruto seemed shocked by what he saw while Jiraiya frowned. "What the hell?" The blond said as he stared at their adversaries. "They just ate two Rasengans and just shrugged it off."

"Ha! Like I told the girl, we're immortal, dumbass!" Hidan taunted before he blinked in realization and a grin spread across his face. "Well well. Looks like we get a two for one deal, eh Kakuzu?"

"More than that." The ex-Taki ninja responded. "We can capture two of the Jinchuriki and claim the prince on Jiraiya's head."

Fuu gasped, her wide, disbelieving eyes turning to Naruto, who remained focused on their attackers. She'd assumed from what he just said but still, she couldn't help but be surprised to hear it actually confirmed.

She couldn't believe it. He was just like her. A Jinchuriki… Her first friend… and he was someone who'd been through the same pain she had. He could understand and sympathize with what she went through. He would truly accept her. She realized then that that was why he'd tried so hard to get her to open up. Because he knew exactly what she'd been feeling.

Her thoughts were cut off as Hidan's voice reached her ears. There was so much she wanted to say. So much she wanted to ask. But that would have to wait until they weren't staring down people who were after their lives.

"Geez, it's always about money with you, isn't it?" Hidan asked, tilting his head and looking out the corner of his eye at his partner as he rested his scythe on his shoulder.

"Of course. It's the only thing you can really depend on, besides yourself. Even hell runs on money." Kakuzu replied without looking at his partner.

"Heh, heathen." Hidan responded.

"Fuu." Jiraiya spoke, without looking away from his opponents. "What do you know about these guys?"

"About the one with the scythe? Next to nothing. But the other one…" Her orange orbs focused on the other ex-Taki ninja. "His name's Kakuzu. He was sent to assassinate the First Hokage before our villages became allies, but failed. He was the only one who came back alive and he was locked away for it. After that, he betrayed the village, stole a forbidden technique and killed our leaders."

Both of the leaf shinobi turned to her, Naruto's expression a mask of shock. "What? This guy took on the First?"

"And he actually lived?" Jiraiya asked, equally surprised as his student, knowing from his sensei that the legends of the power of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha were anything but. Even surviving a battle with either of them if they fought seriously was a feat in itself, far beyond surviving against Hanzo of the Salamander, an act which had earned him and his former teammates the title of Sannin.

"Hm." Kakuzu grunted in acknowledgement. "He was the last ninja from your village I fought, until now."

"You believe me now when I tell you that we're immortal? You guys are screwed." Hidan cackled, pointing at their adversaries.

"There's no such thing as immortality. I've just found a way to extend my life, that's all." Kakuzu refuted with a shrug of his shoulders.

Jiraiya glared, thinking quickly. This was bad, if Kakuzu had fought the First Hokage, he must have been a very powerful individual even then. Now, with at least 80 years of experience under his belt, and from the looks of it the body of a thirty year old through whatever forbidden jutsu he was using, he'd be an extremely dangerous opponent. On top of that, despite the obvious conflict between them, they probably had strong teamwork. If they tried to fight them both at once…

He grit his teeth as he struggled with his decision. While he was confident in the abilities of his student, and from what he saw Fuu was quite competent, he wasn't sure they could handle Hidan. After all, even if he there was a large gap between him and his partner, he was still an S-class ninja and they knew little about his abilities. On top of that, he seemed like the type to fly off the handle and might try to kill rather than incapacitate. Then again, if they were incapacitated and taken, their deaths were certain anyway.

Shaking his head, he made up his mind, loathe as he was to do it. He'd need to separate these two. "Guys." Jiraiya said in a low voice, making sure they couldn't hear them. For the first time in decades, there was hesitation in the Sannin's voice. "We need to split these two up. I'll leave the guy with the scythe to you. You seemed to be handling him fine, and I get the feeling that Kakuzu's in a whole different league than him. I don't need you to win, just hold him off until I finish with this guy."

Naruto nodded. "Got it, Pervy Sage. Don't worry; we can take care of him."

"Right." Fuu's expression hardened as she nodded too, slipping back into her combat stance and summoning a second water sword again, ready to fight alongside her fellow Jinchuriki against their hunters. There was no chance she was going to let them take her or Naruto.

Jiraiya grunted in response before making two hand signs and slamming his palm into the ground. "Earth Style: Dark Swamp!"

Both of the Akatsuki members eyes widened as the earth transformed into thick mud at the Sannin's touch, rapidly spreading across the ground towards them.

The two leapt in different directions to escape the spreading bog, which chased after them in both directions. Jiraiya released his jutsu and sped after his opponent as Naruto and Fuu leapt off after Hidan.

Naruto brought his hand to the back of his glove, activating a seal engraved on the metal and summoning three shuriken to his hand before flowing wind chakra through the blades and throwing them at the silver haired man.

"Heh, what a joke. Do you really think that's going to do anything?" Hidan taunted with an arrogant grin as he deflected two of the kunai and twisted his body to dodge the third, which tore all he way through a nearby tree and the one behind it before tearing into the ground. The missing nin threw his scythe once more.

Fuu batted the weapon aside with one of her water swords as she charged at the man, but then saw him pull back on the cord of the weapon. Fuu turned her head to see the weapon was heading towards her and dodged to the side. With a yank of the cord, Hidan changed the weapons direction and sent it her way, causing her to duck under it and then take to the air as he sent it flying towards her again before pulling it back as the blond reached him.

Naruto made a cross shaped hand sign and created three shadow clones, each of which charged at Hidan from a different direction; both sides and above, summoning a kunai from the seal on their gloves and charging them with wind chakra.

The three clones engaged Hidan in close range combat as the real Naruto took to the air. The Akatsuki member deflected the first attack from the airborne clone with the shaft of his scythe and the second with its base and begun clashing his weapon against the duplicates. While he was much more skilled than them, they attacked quickly and relentlessly, covering each other and leaving him little opportunity to counter.

Finally, there was a brief lull in their attacks and he saw an opening. He slashed his blade, forcing two of the clones back before lashing out with a sweeping kick aimed at the third, who blocked with his forearm and grasped the appendage with his hand, holding it in place as another clone rushed to attack.

Hidan whipped his leg away, sending the clone to the ground and dispersing it and destroying the other clone with a slash of his scythe, only for the third clone to burst from behind the resulting cloud. With the momentum of his weapon against him, Hidan could do little but move to prevent a serious injury, causing the clone drove a wind enhanced kunai through his right shoulder, the chakra coating the small weapon causing it to go all the way through.

He raised his arm to destroy the clone, only for his eyes to widen as it smirked. Suddenly, the missing nin found himself engulfed in another explosion as the Shadow Clone revealed itself to be of the exploding variety.

Naruto watched the blast with a feral grin as Fuu sent out her insects to attack. The blond had told her he'd make an opening and he certainly didn't disappoint.

Hidan, with his right side now matching his left, his flesh slightly torn due to the proximity of the blast, his face etched into a look of fury, burst from the cloud.

The moment he did, he saw the huge cloud of chakra draining beetles flying toward him, threatening to envelope him.

He took to the air, landing on the bark of a tree, only to see the real Naruto in the air above him, making the bird hand sign.

"Wind Style: Air Bullets!" Naruto breathed in deeply and exhaled multiple fist sized pellets of wind, each with enough power to break stone.

Hidan darted through the trees in the clearing, each time the area he landed on was destroyed by the bullets of air only a moment after he left, repeating the process multiple times before the barrage stopped, at which point he leapt at Naruto, only to find the cloud of insects suddenly appear between them and move towards him.

The missing nin threw his weapon and embedded it in a tree, using it as a grappling hook to pull himself away from the swarm. He pulled himself to the tree and stood on the horizontal surface, looking down on the two Jinchuriki as the insects flew back to their master, returning to the cylinder on her back.

Naruto landed and Fuu ran up to join him, the blonds' clones standing before them in a defensive formation as they stared at their adversary.

"Well, this might actually be more of a challenge than I thought." Hidan commented as he stared down at them from his place on the tree.

* * *

'_Fire Style: Flame Bullet!_' Jiraiya inhaled deeply and breathed out a massive, oil filled ball of fire which barreled towards the missing nin, who leapt over the attack.

Kakuzu was very fast, very strong, and highly skilled in taijutsu, but Jiraiya outdid him in all these areas, however, he was still pushing Jiraiya back against a wall.

Why, you might ask, was the sage having so much trouble? All one need do was look at Kakuzu to find the answer. Though he still looked normal, his skin had taken an unnaturally dark tone. He was using a jutsu Jiraiya recognized as Earth Style: Earth Spear, to harden his body, making every inch of himself nearly as hard as tempered steel. Jiraiya had punched him earlier, sending him into a tree, but all he got out of it was a stinging hand as it felt like he'd really punched metal. This was why he wasn't damaged by the Rasengan earlier, and Jiraiya was having a hard time finding a way around this defense.

Flipping in mid air, the man threw his forearm out towards the Sannin, which shockingly detached from his arm, connected to him by the numerous threads, and flew towards the Sannin.

The toad sage leapt back to dodge only to look in shock as the limb changed direction, shooting towards his throat and gripping his neck as the threads ensnared him. He tried to pry off the hand that was choking the life out of him, only for the threads to entangle themselves around his body, restraining his arms and preventing him from fighting back.

"Hm. Is that the best you can do?" Kakuzu asked. Despite this, his senses were warning him of danger. This had been too easy; there was no way someone with a bounty as large as his would be taken down this quickly.

Sure enough, his instincts were proven right when the Sannin smirked and burst into smoke. Kakuzu frowned as he recalled his now empty appendage. "When did you…?"

Suddenly, he was doused from behind with a sticky green fluid. Kakuzu struggled, but he quickly found himself encased in the mass and unable to move.

"Hah, you should have known that it would take more than that to bring down this shinobi." Jiraiya said as he stepped out of the foliage, though he kept his distance. "I suggest you don't struggle. A single spark is all it'll take for you to go up in a ball of fire. I doubt you're jutsu would protect you from the raging inferno this stuff would make."

"Hm." Kakuzu responded. "You vastly underestimate me." Surprisingly, without hand signs, the ex Taki ninja inhaled deeply. '_Water Style: Exploding Water Shockwave!_' Kakuzu spit up a massive surge of water, blowing his mask off his face and revealing his lower jaw was stitched to his head as well, each side beginning at the corner of his lips, giving him the appearance of an ear to ear grin.

The flood of water was so massive it pushed Kakuzu off of the ground and sent a wave towards the Sannin, which he dodged by taking to the trees. Looking down on him from a branch, with a grim expression.

This wasn't good. To be able to use a jutsu without a single hand sign was an extremely advanced art. It required total mastery, not only of the element but of that jutsu itself. It showed he hadn't been wasting the decades since his defection.

"It was foolish of you to leave those two with Hidan." Kakuzu stated as he looked up at the Sannin, his expression neutral. "You were right in believing I was the greater threat, but Hidan may very well kill those two." He then shook his head, his gaze turning in the direction of the other battle. "I get enough complaints from our leader for killing my pervious partners. The last thing I need is flak for him killing one of our targets and delaying our plans."

Jiraiya's frown deepened at that. This guy killed his own partners? Either he was a complete bastard, or despite his calm demeanor, he was just as likely to go into a blind rage as his partner.

Taking note of that, Jiraiya questioned. "So, you said the last ninja of our village you fought was the First? Pretty impressive that you actually managed to survive."

Kakuzu grunted in response. "'Survive' is too strong a word. I dragged myself back to that pitiful excuse for a village half dead after that battle, and how do they respond?" He scoffed. "That's when I learned a valuable lesson. The only things in this world you can really count on are yourself and money."

With a smirk, Jiraiya nodded. "Yeah, seems to me you did learn something valuable."

"Oh?" Kakuzu tilted his head.

"You said he was the last Konoha ninja you fought. You learned not to mess with our village." Jiraiya replied tauntingly, though Kakuzu's expression didn't change. Jiraiya then raised his hand, holding his palm up and parallel to the ground as he added. "Not that I blame you. If I'd been beaten that badly, I'd probably run scared every time I saw the Konoha symbol too."

"Don't flatter yourself by thinking that, Jiraiya. While my battle with the First was many years ago, the only reason I haven't faced a Konoha shinobi since is because I don't go after small fry. Since the deaths of your Second, Third and Fourth Hokages, the only shinobi your village produced with bounties worth my time are yourself, Tsunade, Orochimaru, Might Gai, Asuma Sarutobi and Kakashi Hatake, not counting Itachi of course. I simply haven't had the opportunity to pursue them yet since I've been collecting valuable bounties from all the other villages. Perhaps you'd like me to collect Tsunade's head after yours since she'll be the next Konoha ninja with the highest bounty after yours and she's no where near as powerful as her grandfather was." Kakuzu said darkly with clear intention that he'd do what he said.

Jiraiya's face darkened, his fists clenching when he heard the ex-Taki ninja threaten Tsunade. He would make the man regret threatening his old teammate. Before he could respond, the Akatsuki member continued.

"But maybe you'd like to see how much I've changed since that day."

With that, Kakuzu's face twisted in effort as he clenched his fists. His back began to shift unnaturally as the mass of threads beneath his skin shifted and the unstitched his back, until finally, his back burst open. Four masses of threads tore themselves out of him, each one with the mask and shaped themselves into a monster.

One appeared to be a demonic tiger, another a four legged creature with small, makeshift wings, another some odd, deformed biped, and the final a twisted, two tailed wolf.

Jiraiya stared down in disbelief and disgust at what he saw, the forbidden jutsu making him think of his former teammate, Orochimaru. This seemed like it was right up his alley.

Which brought the question; what kind of monster had this guy turned himself into?

"How about this?" The tiger like construct leapt into the air and opened its mouth, revealing a small fire ball.

Jiraiya's eyes widened as he recognized the jutsu as Fire Style: Searing Migraine. He quickly bolted to another tree just as the tiger like monstrosity released a small fire ball about the size as a fist, which erupted into a massive fire storm the moment it came into contact with the tree, destroying it and setting the nearby trees ablaze.

The creature rapid fired the attacks, causing Jiraiya to bound through the trees as it rapidly decimated the forest. While still in midair, Jiraiya sensed something wrong. His gaze fell downward to see the winged construct flying at him. It opened its mouth and wind spiraled towards it, compressing into a small ball.

Jiraiya's face became a mask of shock. There was no way. This guy was using high level techniques from four different elements! Even factoring in his long life, he shouldn't have been able to master the elements to this degree.

The creature released the jutsu: Wind Style: Pressure Damage. The small ball of compressed air struck true, slamming into the center of Jiraiya's chest and exploding into a twisting maelstrom on contact, hiding him from view.

When it cleared however, nothing but torn pieces of a log fell to the ground.

"What?" Kakuzu questioned as Jiraiya came at him from behind, wielding another Rasengan. He slammed it into his back, aiming for the stitches that held his body together in hopes of ripping his body apart.

The ex-Taki ninja was pushed forward by the attack for a moment before he fell apart into water. Jiraiya's eyes widened as the other constructs leapt away from him. He looked up to see the fire and wind spewing creatures coming at him together, combining their attacks into a single ball of fire and wind.

'_Oh, shit._' Was Jiraiya's sole thought before they released a massive wave of wind and fire than destroyed a huge section of the forest.

* * *

Whipping his scythe through the air by the cord, Hidan caught the last of Naruto's clones with the weapon, destroying it. Fuu ran through hand signs as she watched Hidan destroy the clone. "_Water Style: Wild Water Wave!_"

Pouring as much chakra into the technique as she could, Fuu spit out a powerful stream of water. Hidan leapt through the air to dodge the attack, the force of the deluge strong enough to tear down the tree behind him. Fuu swept the attack, following him with it as Naruto leapt into the air, positioning himself on the other side of the kunoichi's jutsu facing Hidan, above the raging water flow.

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!" Clapping his hands together, the Uzumaki created a powerful gust of wind, concentrating the blast as much as he could and sending it towards Hidan, who was largely preoccupied with the water.

The resulting squall was highly focused, about the size of Naruto's body, and flew towards Hidan, colliding with the stream of water and redirecting it towards the missing nin.

Hidan, currently in mid jump, could do naught but raise his arm to shield himself before the redirected deluge collided with his body, driving him back, knocking over a tree behind him and plowing him into the ground as the Jinchuriki's combined assault continued, letting out a garbled curse as the water overtook him. The wind quickly died down, but by that time Fuu had redirected her jutsu so he was still caught within it.

Naruto landed and summoned four kunai, two in each hand and channeling wind chakra into them, giving them a blue glow before throwing them into Fuu's water stream where he thought the silver haired man would be, repeating the motion as he moved toward the mint haired girl and then slamming his palms together again, unleashing another gust of wind, this time in the exact same direction as his fellow Jinchuriki's jutsu, increasing its attack power.

Finally, Fuu released her technique and placed her hand to her chest, breathing a little deeply as her lungs demanded oxygen and she recovered from the having kept up the water stream for so long. Thankfully, her chakra control was decent and combined with the massive chakra supply granted from possessing the third most powerful Biju, while smaller than Naruto's immense reserves, she still had plenty of chakra left in her.

Naruto eyed where Hidan had been, but all he could see was a trench carved into the ground that disappeared into shadows of the forest. He knew that that wouldn't be enough to down their adversary, but he hoped that would at least slow him down.

Both teens had taken a few blows, Fuu more than Naruto since they'd decided that she should fight him at close range along with Naruto's clones since her water swords gave her a longer reach than his kunai while Naruto provided long range support. Still, Hidan had suffered far more damage and at first glance, their combined efforts appeared to give them the upper hand. It helped that the man was arrogant as hell and didn't seem to know the meaning of the word 'strategy'.

But something was very wrong. Nothing, not the burns, not the damage to his stomach and internal organs from the Rasengan nor the hole in his shoulder seemed to impair Hidan even slightly.

Both Jinchuriki's danger senses kicked in, warning them of something behind them and they turned just in time to see the scythe coming down from above them. Both jumped back to dodge as Hidan burst from the tree line, grabbing his scythe and targeting the Kyuubi's Jinchuriki this time.

Summoning another pair of kunai to his hands and flowing his chakra through them, Naruto engaged the fanatical shinobi in close range combat, ducking as Hidan swept his weapon above his head and raising his fist with his weapon extended towards the Akatsuki member, ready to vivisect the man, who leaned back just enough to dodge.

Hidan retaliated with a kick, which Naruto deflected with his forearm, and blocked Naruto's following swipe of his blade with the metallic cord connecting him to his weapon.

The two engaged each other in a brief, fierce exchange of blows until Naruto made another quick slash of his kunai. When Hidan moved back to dodge, Naruto's eyes narrowed and he sent as much wind chakra into the blade as he could.

Hidan saw the blue glow of the chakra grow as the wind blade extended just in the nick of time. He jumped backwards, barely avoiding being bisected by the blond Konoha genin.

The moment his feet touched the ground, he detected a presence coming at him from behind. Turning his head, he saw the mind haired girl coming at him with a pair of water blades. He slashed at her, using the momentum of his weapon to turn him around. Fuu shifted, letting the attack sail just inches over her head and stabbed with her blade. Hidan side stepped her attack as well as several follow up slashes before raising his weapon above his head and bringing it down on the girl, his strength forcing her to her knee.

Hidan then raised his foot, aiming to kick her in the face. Fuu leaned backward, allowing herself to fall on her back as the attack passed just over her head while extending her arms to push the blades of the scythe away from her before twisting her body into a high kick as she collided with the ground, which Hidan jumped back to dodge.

He would have pressed the attack, but he found himself pelted by more small air bullets from the blond once again, who landed at Fuu's side.

"Geez, you two are a pain." Hidan commented, resting his scythe on his shoulder and looking at them in annoyance. "This sucks, not being able to kill you."

"Well, sorry." Fuu commented sarcastically. "I'm really sorry to hear that your religion is so completely out of its mind. It must be hard, following such crazy rules."

"Hey!" The missing nin yelled, his face twisting in rage and pointing his weapon at them. "Don't speak ill of the great Lord Jashin, or I'll have to show you just how horrible his judgment can be!"

"Heh, talk talk talk, that's all you've done so far." Naruto replied with a smirk, turning to Fuu and winking one eye.

Getting Naruto's game, Fuu looked at him out of the corner of her orange orb with a smirk of her own and asked, "Are all the Akatsuki really this bad? Maybe I don't have as much to worry about as I thought."

That wasn't entirely true. The only reason she hadn't been hit by that scythe was because of the blonds' aid and the fact that she mainly kept to the defensive, only attacking when he really left himself open, which typically didn't work.

"Nah." Naruto shrugged and shook his head. "You should have seen Itachi and Kisame. This guy's got nothing on them." He then pointed at Hidan, who was bent forward, gritting his teeth and raising a trembling fist in rage. "I mean, look at him. He hasn't even used any ninjutsu or genjutsu since we started fighting, and I've seen better taijutsu all over Konoha. I guess he's just nothing special."

Fuu closed her eyes. "Well, I guess we lucked out. They must have taken this guy just to round out there numbers. I mean, why else would they let this religious nutcase into a group of elites like that. At this rate, we can finish him off and go help your sensei take out Kakuzu." She brought a finger to her chin and looked to the sky in thought. "I wonder what the people in Taki will say when we bring him in…"

Hidan grit his teeth, fuming at the pair of kids taunting him. With a growl, he charged forward once again, his feet splashing in the puddles from Fuu's attack. "Shut the fuck up!"

Fuu ran forward and clashed her weapon against his again, but the moment their weapons met a swarm of beetles burst out of the cylinder on her back, covering the man's arms and biting into his limbs, draining his chakra away.

The missing nin began to move back, when he heard rapid foot steps. He turned his head and saw that three more clones of the blond were coming at him from behind, trying to lock him in and prevent him from escaping.

Hidan snarled as he leapt into the air and spun rapidly, throwing out his scythe and destroying two of the clones in a single move while shaking off many of the insects.

He then stopped and brought his scythe down on the remaining clone as it reached him, jumping over its attack and slashing through it, causing it to burst into smoke. He landed to see Fuu charging at him once again.

She clashed her water blades against his scythe again, quickly finding herself pushed backwards by his speed and skill before jumping back. Hidan followed, raising his scythe for another attack.

Just as Fuu wanted. She'd quickly seen that he was the type to just attack blindly and hope to get his opponent with his raw abilities and talent. On top of that, he seemed to have no ninjutsu or genjutsu skills. She figured it wouldn't be that hard to get him to press the attack.

Hidan was alerted that something was wrong when he saw a smirk spread across Fuu's face, but before he could do anything, a clone of the girl rose out of the puddle directly beneath him, using the Hiding in Water jutsu to become one with it.

In the air and with his weapon raised above his head, he couldn't block as the clone thrust a water blade. He coughed up blood as the sword stabbed him through the heart.

Both Jinchuriki felt relief flood their systems. It was over. Now all they had to do was go help the Sannin and…

"Shit, that hurt." Hidan said, shocking both of the teens and the clone, which Hidan promptly backhanded, causing it to fall apart into water. "Do you have any idea how it feels to be stabbed through the heart?"

Naruto stared in shock before pointing at the man, his face a mask of shock, horror and disbelief as the missing nin stood with a hole in his heart and acted like it was nothing. "W- what the hell!? You were just stabbed in the heart! How are you still alive?"

"Didn't I already tell you?" Hidan replied as he raised his scythe. "I'm immortal, you dumb shit!" And with that, he charged forward.

Now it made horrifying sense to the blond. While it had just been a taunt, he had been meant what he'd said earlier. This guy was good, sure, but he wasn't any better than some of the jonin Naruto knew from Konoha. From what he'd seen, this guy had nothing on S-rank ninja like the other members of Akatsuki. On top of that, he didn't think or plan. The guy just charged into any situation blindly. So why had they let him into the organization?

Now he knew. The man _couldn't be killed_. This was not good.

Naruto took a step back as the man approached, knowing now that any damage they might inflict would be meaningless, and slammed his palms together, creating another wave of wind which slammed into the apparently immortal man and sent him flying back.

"Ok, so he's immortal. Big deal. He's not invincible." Naruto commented, partially to remind himself of this fact as he watched the man drag his feet and hand across the ground to bring himself to a stop.

"Right." Fuu said, shaking off her uncertainty at the revelation. And the people in her village called her a monster. What were these guys? "Even if he's immortal, he can't do anything if he doesn't have any chakra." She said, her insects crawling out of the cylinder on her back, which was basically a massive hive.

"And he won't be able to do a thing if we cut off his head." Naruto added as he readied his kunai.

"Ha! Just try it!" Hidan yelled as he threw his scythe again, both Jinchuriki jumping out of the way. This time, Hidan yanked the cord to the side, once again redirecting it, sending it twisting to through the air. Naruto and Fuu jumped high to evade as the weapon swept at them before another deft movement sent it after them.

Naruto evaded the attack before another deft movement of the cord brought the triple bladed weapon up before bringing it down at him.

The moment Naruto landed, he leapt back, narrowly evading as the scythe slammed into the ground just as Hidan reached it. The man picked up the scythe and threw it one more. Naruto snaked around it to evade, but his eyes widened when he saw Hidan immediately pulled back on the cord and called the weapon back.

Naruto turned his head as he heard Fuu call his name, seeing the weapon almost upon him. He slammed his kunai into the weapon and deflected the attack, but the blade raked across his side, leaving a shallow cut.

Hidan's face lit up in a sadistic grin as he leapt away. As he moved backwards, he brought the scythe to his mouth and licked the blood off of the blade. He continued skipping back until he reached the seal he'd drawn on the ground at the beginning of the battle.

"The preparations are complete!" Hidan cackled in an almost insane manner as he stepped into the seal. "You're now under my curse." The Jinchuriki would have commented on this, before his body began to shift. His skin turned black with white, skeleton like patterns appearing over his body with a skull like symbol covering his face almost like a mask, giving him an appearance slightly reminiscent of a stereotypical grim reaper. "It's too bad I won't be able to savor the agony of your death," He said as he reached into the remnants of his coat and pulled out a collapsible pike, which he promptly opened up. "… but at least we can revel in some glorious pain!"

* * *

As Naruto and Fuu faced down Hidan, Kakuzu stared after the devastation his attack caused, tilting his head, knowing that wouldn't be enough to take care of the legendary shinobi. Minutes had passed, and still no sign of the Sannin.

"You can drop the act. It would take more than that to finish one of your caliber." The ex-Taki ninja stated as his eyes wandered the area.

Sure enough, a mass of spiky white hair burst out of the ground, shaping into a form reminiscent of a lion's mouth as it lengthened and sped towards the missing nin.

Kakuzu leapt back to avoid the attack, but it moved too quickly for all his masks to dodge. The winged construct was caught in the hair and driven through the air, slamming it into a tree with enough force to nearly break it in half, the strands of hair hardened to the point that each was like a steel needle, piercing the creatures mask.

The construct writhed disturbingly in the grip of the Sannin's hair before seeming to melt, liquefying and slipping to the ground before the hair retracted.

Kakuzu snarled at seeing his wind using mask destroyed.

The Sannin burst out of the ground, immediately running through the hand signs for the Fire Style: Flame Bullet technique once again, this time partitioning the oil to fire off small fire balls instead of one large one.

The constructs quickly dodged through the air, flying even though they had no wings. The bipedal construct opened its mouth to shoot out a bolt of lightning which tore through the ground. Jiraiya changed direction and ran from the blast, only to see wolf like creature ahead of him, unleashing a wave of water.

Jiraiya was caught between the two attacks, crying out in shock as the water overtook him before the lightning bolt crashed into it, spearing him and sending arcs of electricity through the wave, but in a burst of smoke, the Sannin had been replaced with a charred and broken log.

He reappeared on the branch of a tree, hidden by the foliage, examining the devastation created from the combined attack. A moment later, and he would have been toast.

Sensing danger, he spun to see Kakuzu himself coming down on him from behind, grabbing him by the shoulder and grappling with him through the air, trying to stab him through the chest with his hand as his tendrils burst from his body to ensnare him.

Jiraiya managed to fight back, overwhelming Kakuzu's grip and manipulating his hair to fight the threads and stab Kakuzu, only for it to bounce off of him as he hardened his body. However, the hair did serve a purpose: winning out against and tearing through the tendrils while entangling Kakuzu's arms and allowing Jiraiya to get the upper hand.

Jiraiya gripped the missing nin's shoulder and maneuvered them so Kakuzu's back was facing the rapidly approaching ground, Jiraiya pulled back his hand and clawed it.

The Earth Spear technique was extremely difficult to overcome. Explosions, taijutsu short of the upper levels of the hidden lotus and most ninjutsu were rendered useless due to the damage resistance the technique offered. There were only a few ways to counter it.

First, use genjutsu. Not an option, genjutsu was never the toad Sannin's thing. Second, use a lightning technique to pierce it. Again, not an option, as though the toad Sannin knew enough to teach one how to use the element and had access to scrolls detailing advanced lightning jutsu, he didn't have the affinity and had never learned to use it. He could reflect the lightning mask's attack back at Kakuzu with a barrier, but the man tended to make himself keep a distance between them whenever the masks came in, giving him time to dodge. That left option three, an extremely powerful attack that could shatter even the damage resilience the technique offered.

Fortunately for the Sannin, he had just the thing, and he owed it to his most recent student.

After the events in the Land of Vegetables, Jiraiya had commented on the Giant Rasengan Naruto had created. The technique was far more powerful than the basic Rasengan, a testament to this being the fact that the attack as absolutely lethal, whereas the basic Rasengan was incapable of killing on its own. During that discussion, the blond had questioned about other defenses as strong as Renga's and ways to get around them and had come up with an idea; rather than creating a massive Rasengan, why not create a normal one compressed to a far greater degree, making it more focused and dense?

Inside Jiraiya's hand just a few inches away from his palm, chakra gathered and formed into a swirling orb, but unlike the normal technique, this Rasengan was only one fourth the size of a basic one.

A variant of the Rasengan created specifically to pierce powerful defenses.

He thrust his hand forward, slamming the tiny orb into the missing nin's chest. "Great Spear Rasengan!"

The attack drilled into Kakuzu's chest. With Jiraiya's hand and lengthened hair holding him in place, preventing the attack from pushing him back, it instead drilled into his steel hard skin.

Kakuzu cried out in pain as his chest was torn open, sending the black threads that seemed to hold his body together spiraling out and ripping his heart apart. Red blood and black, liquefied tendrils flew from the site of the impact before finally, Jiraiya released him, allowing the orb to burst, releasing a wave of chakra that sent him flying, slamming into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust. Jiraiya landed only a few feet away.

The Taki missing nin lied there, motionless, lifeless eyes staring up into the starry night sky.

Jiraiya sighed as he looked down at the defeated Akatsuki member. That had been a fairly difficult battle. Now all that was left was to…

Suddenly, he sensed something coming at him, fast. Looking up, his eyes widened in shock as he saw the three remaining mask creatures flying towards him and their master. The Sannin had expected the jutsu to be canceled as soon as Kakuzu fell, but apparently not.

He jumped backwards as the three slammed into Kakuzu, breaking apart into masses of threads as the neared him and remerging with his body. Jiraiya watched, disbelief written on his features as the man rose to his feet, the seams in his body bulging and retracting as the threads beneath his skin shifted and they burst from his body in masses.

His arms separated from his body, linked to together via the threads, and a large mass of it spilled out from his lips. His back completely opened up, allowing writing tentacles made of the tendrils to form as the water and lightning spewing masks fastened themselves where Kakuzu's shoulders should have been, the fire mask vanishing into his body.

Jiraiya took stock of his adversary's new form with a grim expression. How was he still alive? There was no way he'd missed his heart, and for that brief moment, he'd definitely been dead. The way that he revived when those things returned…

"So I see…" Jiraiya began, his mouth twisting in revulsion as he understood. "That's how you've survived all these years. You've been using the forbidden jutsu you stole to take the organs, more precisely the hearts of shinobi you killed, and used them to replace your own. That's also what lets you use all the elements, you've been running your chakra through those stolen hearts and using the element of its original owner."

"You certainly are worthy of your title of Sannin." Kakuzu commented, speaking perfectly clearly despite the mass of tendrils coming out of his mouth. "You're exactly right. You're the first opponent who's managed to destroy two of my hearts. I'll need to restock… yours and the Jinchuriki's will do."

Jiraiya was about to retort when both felt a wave of malevolent chakra wash over the area.

"Looks like things are heating up with your partner." Jiraiya noted after a moment before turning to the monster of a man he was facing, slipping back into his combat stance. "Which means I can't afford to waste anymore time here."

* * *

**Oh dear, what's happened with Naruto and Fuu? Will they come out of it all right? Find out next time.**

**As always, I hope you enjoyed this and please review.**

**In case anyone thinks I made Hidan too weak, you should know I have a very low opinion of him. In my mind, without factoring in his immortality and his curse technique, he's basically dumb muscle with jonin level taijutsu skill. On top of being far less skilled than the other Akatsuki, he doesn't think, doesn't plan, doesn't analyze his opponents and just rushes in blindly due to his arrogance from being immortal, causing him to fall for traps someone of jonin level skill has no business being caught by.**


	8. Chapter 8

**And now, it's time to see how this encounter turns out. Will the two Jinchuriki make it out of their battle with Hidan in one piece? And what will be Fuu's fate? Let's find out, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Naruto and Fuu stared at the silver haired man, who stood in the center of the seal he engraved in the ground in blood, his skin black with white, skeletal patterns.

"What's he talking about?" Fuu asked, her eyes narrowed and her body tense in concern over their immortal adversary's transformation.

While Naruto felt the same trepidation she did, he made a cross shaped hand seal, summoning five more shadow clones. "What's it matter? The guy's off his rocker. Now let's take him down!" With that, the clones ran forward, ready to engage the man and see what the purpose behind his transformation was.

Hidan just grinned as he raised the pike and stabbed himself in the leg. Suddenly, Naruto's eyes widened as pain shot through his system and his clones burst. He grit his teeth and gripped his leg and fell on one knee as blood suddenly seeped into his pants.

In the exact same place where Hidan had just stabbed himself.

Fuu ran to the blonds' side, panic clear on her face. "Naruto!" She stared at his wound, her gaze returning to the Akatsuki as she understood what was happening.

Both Jinchuriki had realized that Hidan had somehow just linked their bodies together. It became chillingly clear to both now just why he was an S-rank threat. He was un-killable by being able to shrug off any injury, and by taking in the blood of his opponent, he could curse them and link their bodies together, and with his immortality, he could run himself through his heart and act like it was nothing.

His opponent, however, wouldn't be so lucky.

Hidan cackled as he took in Fuu's panicked expression and Naruto's pain filled, furious one. "The pain as my enemy passes from this world radiates through my body and transcends agony into ecstasy!"

'_What's wrong with this guy?_' Fuu wondered in the back of her mind in disgust over his sadomasochistic tendencies, but that thought was far from the surface of her thoughts. She had to stop Hidan from hurting Naruto through their link.

Seeing no way to get out of the situation, having no technique that wouldn't injure Hidan and himself, Naruto turned his ocean orb towards his fellow Jinchuriki. "Fuu." He said, getting her attention. "Run, Get out of here."

He didn't like his chances. Oh, he wasn't giving up, but he couldn't think of a way to attack and incapacitate Hidan without injuring him, knowing that the man could easily run him through should he try. Not an easy task, especially with the hole in his leg.

"What?" Fuu questioned in shock before her expression switched to a deadpan look and giving a slight scoff. "Yeah, because leaving you here with an apparent immortal is a brilliant decision. And it's not like he'll catch up to me after he goes through you or anything." Then her face twisted in anger. "Do you really think I'll just leave you like this?" She stood up, facing the missing nin. "I'll find a way to get you out of this. Just you wait!"

She had to save him. He was the first person who'd managed to worm his way into her heart in so many years. The first real friend she'd had, the only person who could relate to her, and he was in this mess because of her. She felt like, if she failed, she might as well give herself up, because she'd never be able to live with herself afterwards.

"Heh. What do you plan to do? Now that he's under my curse, all I have to do…" Hidan said, pointing his blade to his stomach. "Is stab myself to injure the brat. You two are fucked!"

Her face a mask of determination, Fuu formed a hand sign and created three water clones out of the nearby puddles. "Don't try it!" Hidan threatened.

Fuu and her duplicates charged forward. Hidan drew his hand back to stab himself when Fuu and two clones stopped, each making a single hand sign before throwing out their hands as new weapons formed. "Water Style: Water Whip!"

The three quickly formed and threw out whips of water, wrapping around his arms and ensnaring both his wrists. Hidan grit his teeth as the final clone charged towards him, intent on finding some way to break Hidan's curse as a swarm of insects flew forth to drain him of his strength.

Hidan dropped his scythe, holding onto its cord as he kicked it in the clones' direction, destroying it before grinning and pulling it back. Fuu's eyes widened as she saw what he was going to do. "No!"

All three of the scythes blades stabbed Hidan diagonally through the stomach, though the man didn't seem to react beyond being pushed back by the impact.

Fuu's horrified gaze turned back to Naruto as he coughed up blood, holding his stomach as blood seeped into his clothing as Hidan began chuckle, his cackles slowly building until insane laughter echoed through the clearing.

The blonds' eyes widened as pain lanced through his system as he struggled to breath. It hurt as much as when Sasuke stabbed him in the lung with his Chidori. His vision was quickly growing cloudy, his consciousness fading away in the wake of the pain. He felt his strength ebbing away and fell forward as the pain and blood loss overwhelmed him.

"Naruto!" She caught him just before he could hit the ground, flipping him over so he was facing her. He was breathing shallowly, his eyes dull as his grip on the waking world continued to slacken.

Naruto struggled to speak as his normally vibrant ocean blue orbs turned to her, trying to tell her to run while she still could, but all that came out were a few wet hacks as more blood spilled out of his lips. He moved his lips once more, but all that came out was a sick, gurgling sound as the crimson liquid found its way into his lungs.

Fuu could only stare at him as she held him close, her face a mask of pain, anguish, and fear. Not for herself, but for him. Blood flowed out of the blonds' wounds, dying her pure white clothing crimson, but she hardly felt the warm, wet liquid. Her entire body was numb as emotion overwhelmed her. All she could feel was the limp body in her arms. All she could see were his dulling eyes.

* * *

_Fuu had just shared another tale of her past with the blond; a mission that involved guarding the daimyo of their country. She__'__d been forced to use the Nanabi__'__s power to save herself and protect him. She remembered it fondly, because while her teammates had scorned her for using her Biju__'__s power, the daimyo had thanked her for her efforts._

_It was one of the few times in her life anyone had truly thanked her._

"_I notice that you try to avoid talking about your teammates.__"__ Naruto pointed out, tilting his head to the side._

_Fuu scowled, turning away from him. __"__I don__'__t want to talk about those jerks.__"_

"_Why not?__"_

_Fuu shook her head. __"__You wouldn__'__t understand.__"_

"_Trust me, I know a thing or two about messed up teams.__"__ Naruto then told her about how he, Sakura and Sasuke got along. Or more precisely, didn__'__t at first. Sasuke sounded like an arrogant jerk and Naruto couldn__'__t stand that he was more skilled than he was, and Naruto let Sakura get away with beating him up for the smallest of reasons because he was apparently in love with her, from the way he talked about her._

_After hearing that, Fuu shared a bit about her own team. Her teammates basically hated her, constantly belittling her, mocking her if she failed and disparaging her when she succeeded while her sensei ignored her most of the time._

"_You shouldn__'__t care what they think!__"__ Naruto stated. __"__If they can__'__t see you for who you are, then just forget about them and find someone who can!__"_

_Fuu just scoffed. Easier said then done, just about everyone in Taki felt that way._

_Though then, her lips spread out into a small smile. There had been two people besides Shibuki and his father who had treated her like a human__…__ and now, Naruto too._

* * *

How could this have happened? Her friend, the only friend she had ever had, the only person she'd ever met who could truly understand her, was dying right before her eyes, and she could do nothing to stop it.

He was here because of her. He'd come after her when she tried to throw her life away, protected her from the Akatsuki and saved her, from them and from the crushing despair that had enveloped her… and yet, she was powerless to save him.

Since the moment they'd met, he'd tried to be there for her, and what had she done when he needed her? She'd failed, and now all she could do was watch as his life drained from his eyes, his breathing becoming more and more shallow as the seconds ticked by.

* * *

_The two Jinchuriki laughed together as Naruto told her about is friends. Specifically, some of the things he used to get up to with Shikamaru, Kiba and Choji back when they were kids. How they used to skip class and pull all kinds of pranks on the village. Well__…__ except Shikamaru, who felt it too troublesome._

_Fuu faced him with an amused grin. "Wow, you guys really know how to have fun! Nothing like that ever happens around here!"_

"_Too bad. Taki's a nice place, but it sounds kind of boring." Naruto replied, leaning back and resting his head on his hands._

_Fuu looked out onto the water's surface as she thought how nice it must be to have people around you. "I wish I had friends like that…" She said quietly, but the blond heard her._

"_What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, drawing her attention as he sat up. He pointed his thumb at his chest and gave her his fox-like smile. "You have me, don't you?"_

_Fuu was surprised by his declaration and then gave a thankful smile, her heart warming as she realized that for the first time in so long there was someone close to her._

* * *

She felt like someone had ripped open her chest and tore out her heart. Pain unlike anything she'd ever imagined ate away at her chest and hitched in her throat. She couldn't move, she couldn't think. All she could do was hold him desperately as the pain grew by the second and her eyes began to burn as tears welled up in her orange pools.

* * *

"_Naruto?" He turned to look at the girl, who was giving him a smile. A warm, truly thankful smile. "Thank you… for being here."_

_The blond Jinchuriki had a similar expression as he replied. "I'm your friend, Fuu. If you need me, just ask. I'll come running."_

* * *

Finally, the blond mercifully lost consciousness, his head falling limply to the side as his eyes closed. Fuu took in a sharp breath and froze, ceasing to even breathe as she stared at the lifeless boy.

Hidan chuckled. "Well, that's one of you out of the way." He stated as his skin returned to normal, remembering he needed to take him alive and unable to risk causing him anymore damage. "I should probably take care of you quickly, before he bleeds out. So, any chance of you coming quietly now?" His smirk fell when the girl didn't respond, her head falling forward, covering her eyes in shadow, as she continued to stare at the blond in her arms.

Her entire body felt numb as she trembled, the only thing she felt was pain, her breath caught as a hard lump formed in her throat. She felt warm liquid flow down her cheeks. She couldn't even think clearly enough to realize she was crying for the first time in five years.

He wasn't moving. She could barely even tell if he was breathing or not. He looked like he was already dead. The very thought was enough to cause her to choke as the pain intensified.

And this insane, religious nut job had enjoyed every moment of this. His laughter at Naruto's suffering rung through her ears. He'd savored Naruto's pain. Fuu hated a lot of people, but at this moment, Hidan rose to the very top of that list as an anger unlike anything she'd ever felt before, even on the worst days back in Taki, welled up inside her, washing away all other emotion.

The world around her was shifting, a blood red haze falling over it as her mind was overcome with anger and hatred. All directed towards the silver haired man standing just a few yards away from her.

As all thoughts left her in the wake of unfathomable rage, she gently laid Naruto down with her shaky arms. As the hatred grew by the moment, she could feel a familiar, malevolent chakra begin to mix with and overwhelm her own. With a low growl, she suddenly vanished.

Hidan's eyes widened before he sensed a dark presence above him. Looking up, he saw Fuu falling towards him, pulling her fist back as an aura of red chakra surrounded her body.

Fuu's Biju took the form of a Rhinoceros Beetle. Proportionate to its size, Rhinoceros Beetles are the single strongest creatures in the world, capable of lifting 100 times its own body weight, the most powerful species of which being capable of lifting a whopping 850 times their weight. This was a trait that the Nanabi shared to a degree; being the most physically powerful of all the Biju and as such its chakra carried a disproportionately large enhancement to its bearer's physical strength.

Hidan leapt back as Fuu crashed down, her fist colliding with the ground and creating a crater half the size of her body, kicking up a massive cloud and sending small cracks throughout the immediate area of the impact.

Hidan's eyes widened in shock as he raised his arm to shield his face from the dust and debris Fuu's attack caused. As he landed, dragging his feet for a few moments, the cloud spiraled as a red glow grew out from the center, whips of red chakra lashing out and carving gashes into the ground. "What the hell?"

Before be could react, a claw made out of red chakra burst from the twisting cloud and sped towards him. Due to the closeness of the attack, all he could do was raise his arms to defend as it slammed into him and drove him backwards through two trees before slamming him into the ground hard enough to carve a crevice into it, his pike falling to the ground.

As Hidan quickly picked himself up, chunks of wood and pebbles littering his back from the impacts, he saw what had happened to his target within the cloud.

Fuu raised herself out of the crater, standing on all fours, placing a single hand outside of its boundary. Her body was encased in a cloak of bubbling, red chakra. A horn extended from the head of the cloak, matching the Nanabi's own, and three tails of chakra grew out from around her tailbone, the middle tail long and thin, and the other two shaped like the wings of an insect.

Her hands had become sharp claws, her canines elongated into fangs, and her eyes had changed to reflect the demon whose power coursed through her. Unlike Naruto, whose eyes would become red and resemble a fox's when in his Jinchuriki forms, or Gaara's whose sclera would turn black as he gained the amber irises and shuriken shaped pupils of Shukaku, Fuu's iris seemed to have extended to cover the entire orb, and since her pupils weren't visible, that left her entire eye pure orange, gleaming dangerously in the moonlight.

"Geez, what a mess. Now I'm going to have to deal with this oversized bug." Hidan commented before raising his scythe. "Show me what you've got, Nanabi!"

With a snarl which built into a roar, Fuu shot towards him. Hidan leapt to the side and dodged the blow, but rather than land, the green haired Jinchuriki's wing-like chakra tails began to beat rapidly, allowing her to fly and propelling her through the air. She twisted around a tree and sped to her adversary, her arm pulled back as she prepared to launch another attack.

* * *

Naruto wondered if he had died. One moment, he had been in agony, rapidly losing consciousness as his blood slipped out onto the ground, and the next he was suddenly strangely comfortable. There was no pain or danger he could sense, just the sensation of floating in a cool liquid.

Cracking open his ocean blue orb, he found himself not in the boundaries of the pure world, but in the familiar, sewer like domain of his mindscape.

He shot up, causing the water to splash around him. This was no time to kick back and relax! He was in danger! Fuu was in danger! He needed to wake up and get back to the fight…

But the reason he was here was because his body was a wreck. Even if he could force himself back to the waking world, he wouldn't be able to lift a finger to help his fellow Jinchuriki. What was he going to do?

Suddenly, a deep, sinister chuckle echoed out from behind him. Naruto twisted around to find himself before the cage of the Kyuubi, its mouth etched in a wicked grin. "**What a surprise. It seems like you've gotten yourself in over your head again.**"

Naruto raised himself to his feet and turned to the massive Biju, his brow furrowed. "Why am I here?"

"**What? Not even a hello after all this time?**" The fox questioned, amusement clear in its massive, crimson orbs.

Naruto swept out his arm angrily and took a step towards the cage containing the massive beast. This was no time to joke around! "Cut the crap! Why'd you bring me here?!"

"**I had nothing to do with it. This is **_**your**_** mind, remember?**" The fox replied, sighing. "**And I had hoped that you'd grown a brain in that empty skull… then again, I should have known better, since you've dragged us into yet another mess.**"

Now Naruto snarled. "I was trying to protect a friend! And what about you!? Aren't you Biju the same kind? Don't you give a damn that the Nanabi would have been captured by these psychos along with Fuu?"

The fox scoffed, turning its head away and closing its eyes. "**I could care less what happens to the others. Besides, that insect is the third strongest among us. If he can't take care of himself, then why should I bother?**"

Naruto frown deepened before his mouth twisted into a grin. "I think you care about what's happened more than you let on."

The fox opened a single eye and glared down at him. "**What was that?**"

Naruto tilted his head forward, closing his eyes and raising his hand in an explanatory gesture. "I've been knocked out a bunch of times, but this is the first time I've ever been pulled to my cage." He opened his eyes, his ocean blue eye staring into the fox's crimson orb. "The last time this happened, you wanted to give me your power to save your own skin. Want to know what I think? I think I only get pulled here when one of us wants me to be here. And I know it wasn't me, so who does that leave?"

The fox growled dangerously. "Whether or not it was to help yourself or the Nanabi, you don't want me to just lay there waiting to bleed out or for them to drag me who knows where so they can do kami knows what with you. Give me some chakra so I can get us out of this mess."

The fox was silent for a moment before he began chuckling, the rumble of the sound echoing throughout the sewer-like mindscape. "**Well, I suppose you **_**have**_** matured a bit under the wing of that pathetic excuse for a sage. You're correct; I don't wish to fall into their hands, so I suppose I have little choice.**" Tendrils of red chakra flowed out from between the bars of the cage, wrapping around the blond.

It wasn't like the first time this had happened, back when he was falling to an apparent death. It was so much more. It was even more than when he'd fought Sasuke.

"**You should be grateful to me… time and time again; I've had to bail you out.**"

Naruto would have retorted, but he found himself flung out of the mental world.

* * *

Back in the real world, Naruto's blue orbs opened as a burning power began to course through his system. He was alone in the clearing, Fuu and Hidan's battle having steadily moved away in the past few moments. Red chakra bubbled up around his body as the amazing regenerative powers of the Kyuubi caused his wounds to heal, closing in mere seconds as his blood rapidly multiplied, replacing what had spilled out into his cloths and onto the ground.

As the chakra continued to flow, it began to take form as his body changed under its influence once again as he rose up before falling forward, standing on all fours, screwing his eyes shut as he growled, his voice growing more guttural.

Like Fuu, his hands became claws as his canines extended, becoming fangs. His eyes shot open, revealing crimson orbs with silted pupils as the chakra exploded around him, whipping around and damaging the surrounding earth and the tree behind him.

Finally, it wrapped around his body, coalescing into the shape of a fox with two tails. All his senses enhanced by the vile chakra of the Biju, he could hear the battle raging nearby and bolted towards it.

Meanwhile, Hidan leapt down on the currently grounded Fuu, pulling the cord of his scythe, making it come at her from the side as he prepared to run her through with a pike, or throw it should she dodge.

These efforts were fruitless, however, when Fuu inhaled and then let out a roar, sending out a shockwave that blew Hidan and his weapon away, partially uprooted the trees and tore the ground surrounding the Jinchuriki apart.

The Akatsuki member yanked at his scythe, slamming it into the ground and using it as an anchor, slowing his body enough for his feet to touch down and then using his chakra to come to a stop.

Hidan grit his teeth in frustration. This battle was becoming more and more annoying for him. While Fuu hadn't done any serious damage, her ability to fly was making it almost impossible for him to land a blow.

He may not be the most skilled member of the Akatsuki, or the strongest, and out of them all he was the slowest, but his immortality, coupled with the fact that all it took was a single injury to take down an adversary meant that it was still relatively easy for him to take down most opponents.

Never mind that all too often Kakuzu wound up having to sew pieces of his body back on.

He was very tempted to just kill the girl once he finally got a sample of her blood, but he was well aware that if he actually did that, he would be punished by their leader. While he knew he couldn't be killed, he could be dismembered and left to rot. He knew that Kakuzu would personally love to volunteer for that assignment considering he had already once tried to kill him by ripping out his heart but even so he still didn't die even when Kakuzu crushed it to see if that would kill him.

Before either could make another move, both felt another malevolent chakra signature, one even more vile than the one Fuu was exuding at the moment, moving towards them.

'_Naruto?_' Fuu questioned, clarity piercing her rage addled mind as she realized she must be sensing the chakra of Naruto's Biju.

Turning back to the battle, Fuu leapt into the air, her wings beating once more allowing her to fly, before breathing in deeply and releasing multiple, compressed balls of her scale powder, each the size of one of Naruto's air bullets with three times the force.

Hidan sped through the clearing, darting through the trees to dodge the rapid fire attack which scattered the glowing powder through the area, carved deep pits into the ground and carved chunks out of the trees. When the assault stopped, he jumped after Fuu, only for another chakra claw to burst from the foliage.

Once again, all the Akatsuki member could do was block as the claw slammed into him, driving him into the ground.

Fuu's menacing orange orbs turned towards the source of the chakra claw and saw Naruto land in the clearing. She felt a slight sense of relief, overshadowed by the malice brought on by the chakra but still there, that the blond was safe and miraculously healed.

The two Jinchuriki looked at each other, taking in their similar forms. Both felt once again that they were staring at a kindred spirit and a sense of understanding fell over them.

Then, as one, they turned back to their opponent, Fuu flying over and hovering a few feet above the blond.

They were thinking the exact same thoughts. The two would use all their power as Jinchuriki to protect each other and bring down their hunter.

Hidan emerged from the crater he'd been sent into. "I'm getting fucking tired of this!" He pointed his scythe at the pair of Jinchuriki. "You want to play like that fine, I'll drop the both of you!"

With that, he rushed forward, ready to continue the fight.

* * *

Jiraiya jumped back off of a branch as a massive tentacle of threads, which tore about a fourth of the branches off of the tree, landing on the ground in a crouch and bolting to the side as the tentacle came back and slammed onto the spot he'd been standing on a mere moment earlier.

Kakuzu had transformed once again. His lower and upper jaws had completely separated, allowing a massive tentacle to come out of mouth, accompanied by seven more coming from his back and where his shoulders should be. They were linked together by bundles near their bases, allowing him to fly, if need be.

The area around them had been devastated by their battle. Dead and torn up trees littered the area, and all the underbrush had been burned and ripped away. Scattered fires slightly illuminated the area and deep wounds had been carved into the ground.

Kakuzu seemed to favor massive, overpowering attacks that were difficult to dodge. Together with his speed and skill and Jiraiya could see why he'd been recruited into the Akatsuki, even though he'd never heard of the man, which said a lot about his anonymity. He idly wondered what Kakuzu would do normally, when he has a teammate he has to watch out for. Remembering his earlier comment, he figured he probably either didn't care and let them get caught in his attacks, or was easily enraged into doing so.

Which begged the question how his current partner was still alive. Hopefully, it was either due to luck or simply not having been his partner that long.

As Jiraiya dodged the attack, he saw the masks besides Kakuzu's head open up, revealing a mass of water and an orb of lightning. Jiraiya slammed his palms together as the masks released their attacks, creating a massive vortex of electrified water, and slammed his palms to the ground.

"Barrier: Three Pillar Formation!" A curved, triangular barrier appeared before him, protecting his from the wave. He grit his teeth as he channeled chakra into the barrier to block the massive attack.

Eventually, the attack passed. Jiraiya released his jutsu the moment he did and bolted forward, but the moment the water cleared, he saw the lightning mask's mouth was still open, holding an orb of electricity.

It released a bolt of lightning, electrifying the water he was standing in. Jiraiya's body convulsed as the lightning coursed through his system, and Kakuzu's mouth shifted, seeming to smirk as the smell of burnt flesh reached his nose.

Another tentacle then slammed into the Sannin's chest, sending him flying through one of the damaged trees and into another, creating an indentation in the bark before he fell to the ground, a small trickle of blood leaking out of his mouth.

As he fell through the air, another tentacle sped towards him, separating into its component threads and moving to ensnare him and tear out his heart.

Jiraiya managed to recover and land on his feet. "Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!" His hair once again became a mass of needles hard as steel that completely covered every inch of his body just as the tentacle reached him. He then spun on his feet so quickly he appeared to be a miniature tornado, tearing up the mass and causing it to back away. The moment he sensed they were gone, he let up his defense, jumping over the threads when they lashed out again and ducking and dodging them as he charged towards Kakuzu.

He snaked around several tentacles that moved to strike him as he neared the ex-Taki nin and pulled his arm back, ducking below one final attack and knocking Kakuzu's arm aside before punching him in the gut, causing him to bend over. He then grabbed his head and slammed his knee into his face right between his eyes, dazing him slightly.

Jiraiya then summoned a kunai to his right hand and slammed it into the water mask, causing it to cry out as a black substance leaked out, before forming a Rasengan in his free hand as the tentacles moved in to ensnare him.

He slammed the orb into Kakuzu's stomach, causing the tendrils to cease their assault and writhe before the attack exploded, sending Kakuzu flying back and away from him. He unfolded his tentacles and used the net of bundles between them to hover in the air, growling in frustration as he the remains his water heart and mask was expelled from his body, replaced by the fire mask, which began to rapid fire fireballs at him.

Jiraiya quickly body flickered to avoid the barrage of fireballs, which created a massive conflagration when they hit the ground.

Feeling the searing heat wash over him as he watched from behind a tree, Jiraiya smirked as he wiped the blood from his chin. There was a reason Itachi and Kisame had feared the prospect of facing him, as Kakuzu was beginning to realize.

'_Three down, two to go._' Jiraiya thought as he looked for an opening.

* * *

Naruto charged towards the religious fanatic, dodging to the side as the man threw his scythe at him and shooting forward before he could recall the weapon. Hidan smirked as he ducked under the attack, preparing to stab the blond with his pike, only for the chakra claw to detach from his body and strike him in the face, sending the man flying through the air.

'_What the fuck!?_' A Jinchuriki's chakra shroud was _not_ supposed to attack and defend on its own like that. It must be a unique feature of the Kyuubi's cloak. '_Damn it!_' He slammed through another tree and into the ground.

Hidan was the type of sadomasochist who only enjoyed shared pain. He reacted to normal pain like a regular person, and as one would expect, he was not happy right now, his entire body racked with pain. That slash to the face had torn the flesh from his cheek, his cloak had now been totally destroyed, leaving him with only his pants and sandals, and his body sported various scratches and injuries, coupled with the burns and the hole in his heart from earlier and anyone who didn't share his gift of immortality would have long since fallen.

He looked up to see Fuu in the air, inhaling deeply. He burst into motion as she spit out a large, compressed bullet of her scale powder, which hit the ground with enough force to make a crater. Hidan kept moving as she followed up with rapid fire smaller balls of the powder at him.

He jumped and yanked his cord, sending his scythe towards her, but she turned in time to see it and twisted out of the way.

Seeing the Akatsuki member distracted, Naruto charged at the man, launching another chakra claw as he grew near. Hidan flipped, the claw narrowly passing beneath him, and with a deft movement of his cord, brought his scythe in for a follow up attack on Fuu, who flew up into the air to dodge.

Watching as Hidan continued to flip, Fuu grinned, seeing an opportunity. She dive bombed straight at him as he landed, pulling her fist back.

Hidan immediately leapt to the side as Fuu came down, her fist colliding with the ground and creating an eruption of dirt and debris, tearing the area apart. Hidan suddenly felt the ground meet his feet and push up as the impact caused it to shift and immediately jumped again to get farther away, preparing to throw his scythe.

Only for Fuu's chakra claw to burst from the torn earth, slamming into his chest and sending him flying back. Once more he used his scythe as an anchor to slow himself before yanking it out of the ground and sending it towards Fuu, who ducked beneath it.

Naruto meanwhile, threw out his arm and launched another claw of chakra at Hidan, which he leapt into the air to avoid. However, as he looked to the blond, he saw him inhale deeply, puffing out his chest. He could do nothing as the blond fired a Drilling Air Bullet at him, which slammed into his torso. He could feel several of his ribs fracture from the impact before he was driven into a tree.

Fuu flew at Hidan, but stopped when she was only a few yards away, batting her wings at him when she jerked to a stop and sending out a pair of sharp blades of wind in an x-formation at him. He managed to jump to the ground just in time to avoid being cut in half, pulling the cord of his weapon.

This time, Fuu wasn't able to dodge in time and grimaced as the weapon grazed her side, blood staining the bandages on her waist. Hidan grinned. Finally, finally he had one of them! Now he just needed to get back at the seal and…

He looked up to see Naruto coming down on him. He jumped back in time to dodge, but then felt his weapon was caught on something.

His eyes followed the cable and his expression shifted to one of mild panic when he saw Fuu in the air, holding his scythe by the shaft while grinning wickedly.

Now, Hidan tended not to think things through, but he was by no means an idiot. He knew what she was planning to do and what would happen if he let this someone with super strength reel him in like that. '_Oh shit!_'

Fuu began tugging on the cable, Hidan let go of the cord connected him to the weapon and quickly reached down to the spool on his hip. Seeing this, Naruto slammed his fist into the ground, sending his chakra claw through the earth and towards the Akatsuki member.

Just as he was about to unhook himself from the weapon, another chakra claw tore out of the ground before him, slamming into him and forcing him to release the spool. He didn't go far before jerking to a stop, the cable finally running out of length. With one final tug with the power the Nanabi's chakra gave her, Fuu reeled Hidan in, dragging him through the air and setting him on a collision course with her.

Still grinning, Fuu pulled back her fist before launching a punch at the man's jaw with a cry of effort as she packed as much power into the attack as she could as she released the cable.

The attack hit home, slamming into the center of Hidan's face. He could practically feel the cracks spread through his skull before he was sent flying out of sight from the two Jinchuriki, crashing into the ground with such force that it sent cracks through the earth for dozens of feet.

"Fuhh…" Hidan said, his broken nose slurring his speech as he slowly rose to his feet. Bringing his hand to it, he snapped it back into place with a sickening crunch.

Hearing rapid footsteps, he looked up to see the blond rushing towards him. He threw his weapon at him, but watched in dismay as the blond batted it aside with his right hand while pulling back his left.

Hidan couldn't react quickly enough to evade this time. The blonds' chakra claw slammed into him before driving him down to the ground and kicking up another cloud of debris. When Hidan leapt out, his right arm was missing.

Naruto cursed inwardly when he saw this. He'd been aiming to take off his head, but the man had managed to avoid the blow, even if it cost him.

He gripped the stump of his arm as he snarled at the blond. "Fuck! That's it!" He growled as he watched Fuu fly into the clearing and land beside the blond, her face twisting in pain as she kneeled down.

The chakra that was giving her so much power was also burning her. She'd lost most of the feeling in her limbs. The strength she got from the chakra was the only thing keeping her up at this point.

Naruto's right eye screwed shut as he felt a similar sensation. While he was better off than Fuu since he had been in this state a shorter amount of time and healed more quickly, it was still taking its toll on his body. He stood upright; his right arm was now almost useless and hung limply at his side.

The two Jinchuriki were on their last legs. It wouldn't be long before their bodies could no longer handle the corrosive chakra surrounding them and they were forced to release their forms, at which point they'd be helpless. Such was the weakness of Jinchuriki who lacked control.

Except for Gaara, who's 'cloak' was made of sand and didn't carry any risks. Lucky bastard.

Well, not really given what he'd been through…

"You two will be my most glorious sacrifices to Lord Jashin!" Hidan snarled as he gripped his scythe tightly.

"Hidan!" A voice called out. All eyes were drawn to its source as Kakuzu entered the clearing. The Jinchuriki's eyes widened. Had Jiraiya been defeated? Were they alone and almost completely worn out against two Akatsuki members?

"Good timing, Kakuzu." Hidan smirked, shouldering his scythe. "Damn, that guy put you through the ringer."

"I could say the same to you." Kakuzu growled in response.

"Heh, whatever." Hidan said, turning back to the Jinchuriki. "Now that you're here we can-"

"We're getting out of here." Kakuzu cut him off.

"WHAT!?" The silver haired man asked in shock as he whirled on Kakuzu, his expression a mask of surprise. More tendrils had snaked down the missing nin's back and burrowed through the ground, bursting out and grabbing the man's severed arm before returning to Kakuzu.

"I underestimated Jiraiya. I lost all but two of my hearts and had to use one of my last as a distraction. It won't take him long to finish it. The odds are too heavily against us. We're retreating. Now." The ex-Taki ninja said, his tone and gaze leaving no room for discussion.

Hidan growled before scoffing. "Just you wait! You won't be so lucky next time!" He shouted, pointing his scythe at the two demon containers, who growled in response.

"You're not going anywhere!" The blond shouted, knowing all they had to do was keep them there until his sensei returned from facing the 'heart' Kakuzu left behind, whatever he meant by that.

"Useless." Kakuzu opened his mouth before spewing a wave of fire at the pair. Both jumped back before it exploded in front of them, the shockwave pushing both through the air and creating a smokescreen as they skidded across the ground. Once their line of sight was clear, they saw that the two Akatsuki were gone.

Sensing someone else approach, they turned to see Jiraiya drop into the clearing from the treetops. The man's haori and shirt were torn slightly in a few places. He sported scratches on his cheek and there were a few drops of blood on his shirt, but otherwise, he was ok.

Relief flooding their beings at the sight of him, they both released their chakra cloaks. Normally, it wouldn't be so easy due to their demon's attempts to influence them, but their bodies were close to their limits.

The chakra disbursed and both collapsed on the ground, panting heavily, sweat pouring down their bodies. But, looking at each other, they smiled. They'd faced down the Akatsuki and won the day. At least for now.

Jiraiya looked to them both with a stern expression before looking where the Akatsuki had stood. Though they'd won, the battle hadn't been easy. He saw the blood on their clothing and the tears and guessed that the combined powers of their Biju had been the only reason they'd survived. He questioned whether or not it had been such a good idea to leave Hidan to them, though he'd realize he made the right call when he learned of his immortality. That, coupled with Kakuzu's skill and wide spread attacks, made for an almost unstoppable combination.

Turning back to his student and the Nanabi Jinchuriki, both of whom seemed to struggle to stand. Naruto's injuries had been fully healed by the Kyuubi's chakra, but it was obvious to anyone that he had at some point sustained massive damage. In addition, his regenerative powers had so far done little for the damage the corrosive energy itself had caused.

On the other hand, while Fuu had only taken one small slash to the side as far as cuts go, she had obviously taken quite a few blows herself. Though all the Jinchuriki had enhanced healing, only the Kyuubi allowed its host to heal from minor wounds in seconds and critical injuries overnight or in moments when its power was applied. While her injures had somewhat healed and there were no bruises, it was still apparent she'd suffered some blunt force trauma.

Naruto managed to get himself to his feet, but Fuu could hardly raise herself up on her arms. Naruto kneeled down and aided her, slinging her arm over his shoulders as Jiraiya smirked, "Looks like you two had a tough time of it."

"You… don't know the half of it… Pervy Sage." Naruto panted as he and Fuu looked up at the man. Both had no doubt that if either of them had been alone, they would have certainly lost that battle.

"I don't doubt it." The Sannin replied.

"… I don't really feel like we won." Naruto commented, his brow furrowing as he looked to the ground, drawing Fuu and Jiraiya's attentions. Seeing their expressions, he explained, "I get the feeling that guy wasn't particularly high up on the food chain in their group. He was probably the weakest one, and it took everything we had just to hold him off…" Now Fuu frowned too. Both knew that if the fight had continued, they'd have most likely lost unless they managed to cut off his head. And if he was actually the weakest member…

With a sigh, the Sannin nodded, closing his eyes. "Yeah, that's the impression I got too…" He then looked down on him, crossing his arms as he continued, "However, you should keep in mind that you two just fought against an S-class opponent and pushed him back. That's definitely something to write home about. Nice work." The Jinchuriki gave him tires smiles as he turned to the moon. "I don't think you'll be in any condition to be going anywhere anytime soon, so we'll rest here for the night. We can talk about heading back to Taki in the morning."

* * *

Naruto and Fuu rested against the trunk of a tree, shoulder to shoulder while Jiraiya made camp far away from the ruined sight of their battle. The red cylinder Fuu carried lied against another tree next to them.

The green haired kunoichi felt warmth from their contact. Normally, she'd tense whenever someone touched her, ready for an attack and instinctively seeing them as a threat. But with Naruto, it felt calming. She absolutely trusted him. She hadn't fully trusted anyone in years.

Despite her wounds, despite the preview of the threat they were facing they'd just received, she found herself elated. She'd actually found a true friend.

"I can still hardly believe it." Fuu commented, drawing Naruto's attention. "I never thought I'd meet someone else like me."

Naruto shrugged with a smile. "Eh, you know what they say: it's a small world. You're actually the second Jinchuriki I've met." Fuu seemed surprised to hear that.

Naruto considered the two among his most precious friends, because they'd been through the same pain and loneliness he had. Something occurred to the blond then, and he started chuckling.

Fuu looked at him curiously. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing… it's just that…" He said in between his chuckles. "I've thought from the moment I met you… that you were going through the same things I did. I didn't tell you about it because… I was afraid of what you might think of me…" He said, closing his eyes as he quietly cracked up. "And you felt the same way, but if either of us had said something…"

Fuu blinked before she too began to laugh, tilting her head back and Naruto leaned his forward. Soon enough, they got themselves under control and Fuu questioned, "So… what was it like, growing up in Konoha?"

Naruto explained what he'd been through so far. He told her about Iruka and Teuchi, all those who knew what he was and accepted him. He also informed her that the Third had declared it against the law for anyone to speak of his Jinchuriki status. Fuu felt that was a mixed blessing, something that he agreed with. On the one hand, that allowed him to have friends among his own age group, something Fuu didn't have. On the other, he grew up not knowing, always wondering, why everyone scorned him. She couldn't imagine that living through what she did and constantly wondering why.

Fuu then shared a bit of her own life story. She had a few memories of the time before she became a Jinchuriki, but after that, her life had taken a dark turn. Unlike Naruto's experience, everyone in Taki knew what she was, and because of that the other children hated or feared her, often bullying her, and she couldn't fight back because most of the adults would side against her. However, she had had a four people who had accepted her. Shibuki, his father and an elderly couple who had run a restaurant she used to spend a lot of her time at named Hiro and Airi. They'd always been kind to her, giving her free food and teaching her how to cook and take care of herself. Naruto thought they sounded a lot like Teuchi and Ayame. However, the man had passed away six years ago, and his wife a year later.

"I wonder…" Fuu began, looking up the sky. "How would my life be if the kids in Taki didn't know I was a Jinchuriki? Would I have friends like you have now?"

Naruto shrugged, turning to look at her.

"It's never too late, you know. You could always go back to Taki and show them how wrong they are about you."

Fuu gave a bitter laugh at that, tilting her head forward. "I'm not lucky like you, Naruto. Pretty much my entire village hates me. I accepted a long time ago that I'd always be alone as long as I lived there."

"And how can you expect that to change if you don't even try?" Naruto asked drawing her attention, causing her to look him. "You remember Iruka? Truth is… he didn't like me when we first met either." Naruto admitted, surprising Fuu as she recalled that the man was like an older brother to him. "His parents died during the Kyuubi's attack, and for a while, he blamed me for it like everyone else. But because I never gave up and didn't try to push everyone away, I grew on him, until one day he saw that I wasn't the monster sealed inside me." He smiled as he looked up. "After that, he always looked out for me." He turned back to her, staring into her orange pools as he continued. "If you just give up and act like everyone's out to get you, how are they ever going to see the real you? If you don't just push everyone away, then some day, you'll have precious people too."

Fuu couldn't help but smile at that thought. Because of how distant Shibuki was, she'd been pretty much alone since the restaurant owners had passed. The thought of having people close to her, a person she could trust and would accept her like them and like Naruto was something she hadn't even dreamed of in years. But then her smile faded, replaced by a somber look, causing him to frown as she shook her head. "But how's that going to do me any good? It doesn't change the fact that Taki's just not strong enough to fight of the Akatsuki. And with Kakuzu, they know how to get into the village. If I go back, and I did find people precious to me… they'd probably get themselves killed trying to save me."

Fuu shifted, seeming to want to curl up into a ball. "When I saw you get hurt trying to save me… it felt like someone ripped my heart out. I don't want that. I don't want someone I care about to die trying to protect me."

"Then you'll just have to do your best to protect them." Naruto answered. "You can't just give up on everything. You and Taki still have years before Akatsuki should try to make a move again. That's plenty of time to get tough enough to stand up to them."

Fuu scoffed. "Easier said than done."

"And if you can't beat them alone, then you can rely on each other, or on allies like Konoha. Grandma Tsunade wouldn't just stand by if Akatsuki attacked your village. Besides, like I told you, if you need help, I'll always come running. I don't quit, I don't run and I'll never abandon the people I care about. That's my nindo, my ninja way."

Fuu seemed a little hopeful at that. Seeing this, Naruto continued, "Besides, what have you got to lose? Who knows what Akatsuki's got planned and each one of us they capture makes them stronger. Who's to say Taki won't suffer anyway if they win?

That… was true. She could only imagine what they'd do with the Nanabi's power. She'd only thought of the immediate threat to herself and her village, and that their leadership was thinking of giving up anyway. And there was always the Heroes Water. If Akatsuki suffered enough losses, they could go after it to bolster their powers. She hadn't considered that before, because it was a village secret, but if Kakuzu, a former elite Taki shinobi was a member…

She smiled then. He was right; she had nothing to gain by just giving up. "Naruto… thank you."

Naruto returned her expression. "Don't mention it. Like I said, I'll come running anytime you need me."

Fuu's heart felt so light, so warm for the first time in years from having someone she could count on and hope for the future. Suddenly, she could feel all the fatigue from the battle weighing down on her. Coupled that with the level of comfort and warmth she felt at the moment and her eye lids were growing heavier by the second.

Naruto suddenly felt Fuu slump against him, her head resting on his shoulder. He turned to her with a mildly surprised look on his face. "Huh? Fuu?"

It was then that the sounds of quiet, even breathing reached him. He saw that her eyes were closed and with a peaceful look painted on her features, and realized the girl had fallen asleep on him.

Naruto stared disbelievingly at her before he smiled. He wasn't exactly his usual, energetic self at the moment either. He was feeling very weary after their long battle, and being close to a friend who'd shared his burdens made him feel relaxed as well.

It was only a few moments later when he joined her in dreamland.

Jiraiya finished setting up camp and turned to the pair. His expression shifted from surprise, then amusement as he saw that they'd fallen asleep on each other. He considered moving them to sleeping bags, but with their injuries, he'd probably wake them trying. Fortunately, it was a warm night, so he decided he'd let them rest. They'd certainly earned it.

* * *

The next morning, the three packed up their little camp, ready to head back to Taki when Jiraiya's head turned up, sensing a presence approaching. After a few moments, a Taki shinobi with spiky, brown hair that stood straight up dropped into the clearing.

"Hey." The Sannin said, walking over to the man. "What a surprise. We were just about to escort this little lady back to Taki."

The shinobi nodded. "So I see. Good thing, Lord Shibuki had hoped that you'd all be together." He turned to Fuu, looking at her with distaste, causing her to avert her gaze. "I'm surprised. When I saw the damage, I'd imagined she'd resisted and you'd had to forcefully subdue her."

He wasn't surprised when Fuu glared at him in response to that, but he was surprised when Naruto's expression also twisted in anger as he took a step towards him. Before either could say anything however, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter. "At any rate, I only came here under orders to give you this letter from Lord Shibuki."

He stepped up to Fuu and handed the frowning girl the letter, vanishing with a body flicker the moment he did so. Fuu glared after him as she opened the envelope without looking, turning her orange orbs to the paper as she unfolded it.

Naruto looked at her curiously as her eyes moved back and forth, quickly reading the message while wondering what it was. Then her eyes widened and she let out a strangled cry, jolting slightly as if struck and her arms suddenly trembled as her fingers gripped the paper. Naruto quickly moved to her side as she dropped to her knees while Jiraiya's brow furrowed.

"Fuu, what's wrong?" Naruto asked as he reached her, moving to peer over her shoulder at the paper.

"I…" Fuu began, her voice quivering from shock. "I've… been banished!?" Both the student and teacher duo looked taken aback at that.

"WHAT!?" Naruto snatched the paper, leaving the girl staring at her trembling hands and read through it himself, his face twisting into a snarl as he neared the end. The message was a warning from Shibuki. Apparently, the council, with the village leader's backing had decided that Fuu was right and officially banished her from Taki. He apologized, not that that meant much to either of them. He'd told her she was now free to go wherever she wanted… but that still left her alone against the Akatsuki.

'_What the hell, Shibuki!?_' Naruto mentally snarled as he stared at the sheet. How could he do this after everything that happened last night? What happened to all that he'd said about wanting to help her? Did he think the same of Jinchuriki as the rest of the village after all? '_I thought you were better than that!_'

Turning back to Fuu, he saw the shocked and lost expression on her face. The girl had just decided to go back to Taki and give making them accept her another shot, and now this?

She hadn't moved an inch. She just sat there with a dazed look as she stared down at her now empty hands. Leaving by choice to protect the village was one thing. Being banished, especially after daring to hope again, was another entirely. It was her birthplace, and now whether she wanted to or not, she could never return.

She felt like her world had shattered. Her mind was a complete blank, unable to think to do anything as she reeled from the news.

And it wasn't just that she'd been banished, it was that Shibuki had supported it. Though she hadn't trusted him completely and they hadn't been too close due to his position and duties taking up his time and keeping him distant, he'd always been the one who looked out for her best interest.

"Fuu!" Naruto yelled, running to the girl and gripping her shoulders, getting no response. "Fuu, are you ok?" He knew she wasn't, but he couldn't think of anything else to say to the unresponsive girl. "Say something!"

Finally, she snapped out of her daze, but her mind remained a blank. Now that she'd returned to the here and now, it really hit her. She'd been betrayed by someone she'd trusted, if not completely. She'd never see her home again. She felt her throat tighten as fresh pain radiated from her heart.

"W- what am I going to do now?" Was all Fuu could think to say as she sat on her knees, her gaze falling to the ground.

"It's ok. It's going to be all right, Fuu." Naruto stated.

She slapped his hands away, his words bringing her anger and sorrow to the surface. Ok? OK? How was this ok? She was banished from her home! Her hope had been snatched away the moment it had blossomed in her heart.

And what would the people of Taki think? While she didn't like them, she knew they'd take this as a sign that they were right all along. That she was never loyal to their village and had been waiting to betray them, when her loyalty was in fact was reason she'd left.

Clenching her eyes shut, she yelled, "How's it going to be all right!? I can never go back home! Do you think they're going to tell them why I left!? They're all going to think they were right about me all along! How is this ok!?"

"If those guys won't accept you, then find a new home!" Naruto interrupted, placing both hands on her shoulders. "Like Konoha!" Fuu's orange orbs shot open and she looked at him, her expression showing nothing but shock. "I'm sure Grandma Tsunade would take you in. You can join up with the Pervy Sage and me, and come with us when we go back to Konoha. There are lots of people there who don't care about what I am, and I'm sure they'd accept you too." He took a step away and held out his hand, waiting for her to take it. "So, what'd you say?"

Fuu could only stare at him. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. Join another village? She'd always been loyal to her birthplace. The few times she'd considered leaving, joining another village had never crossed her mind. After all, she'd been sure they'd treat her the same anyway.

But what Naruto was offering… she wouldn't get her hopes up. She doubted the people of Konoha would accept her… but if there were people there who didn't think Jinchuriki were monsters, like Jiraiya obviously didn't given his closeness with her fellow Jinchuriki… then maybe it could be the home she'd always wanted.

And even if she was right, he'd be there with her.

Tears welled up in her eyes, in the back of her mind she found it funny that between today and the previous day she cried more than she had since she turned six, as she realized what it would mean to go with them.

She'd never be alone again.

Fuu didn't take his hand, because she shot up and embraced him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his shoulder as she cried, pouring out all the emotions she kept bottled up over the years. All the pain she'd endured, the sorrow and betrayal from her banishment, and her joy from the prospect of being by the side of a friend she could always count on and who could sympathize with her.

Jiraiya sighed, but smiled. He was a bit surprised by this turn of events, but he wouldn't mind having another apprentice. Besides, his perverted side was thinking of how amusing this could be.

Naruto, slightly startled at first, held her, not caring that his shoulder was growing wet from her tears.

* * *

**And thus concludes Fuu's intro into the story. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the long wait. I could give some reasons why this update took so long, but they'd all just be excuses. So, let's just get to the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Tsunade sat back in her seat and let out a sigh, putting her pen down as she took a brief break from her paperwork. She half way turned her chair, craning her neck to look out the window, staring into the clouds. It was another beautiful day in the Land of Fire, the sun shined down on the village as a cool breeze blew through the open windows.

It looked like it would be another of those lazy, rolling days. She'd had quite a few of those lately. Most of her time was spent either doing her paperwork, taking a quick drink of sake when she finished, or training her apprentices.

Yeah, that was a little surprise. A few weeks ago, Ino Yamanaka, had requested she train her in the arts of the medical ninja too, wanting to be able to do more for her teammates. Seeing the girl had the same fire in her eyes as Sakura, the last survivor of the Senju accepted. Seeing Sakura's reaction and their subsequent argument had been slightly amusing. The Yamanaka heir had a knack for it that was for sure, though the pink haired kunoichi had a greater affinity for the art.

Her musings over the past few days were broken when a small, familiar toad hopped through a window into her office.

"Hey, hey. What's shaking, boss lady?" Gamatsukai greeted, waving at the Hokage, who tiled her head and arched a brow when she saw Jiraiya's messenger was back. Hopping over to the woman, the amphibian reached to the scroll on its back and held it out for her to take. "Got a new message for ya."

Tsunade took the message as soon as it was offered and nodded to the toad. "Thank you." With that, the toad leapt away, resting in a shaded area of the room, knowing it'd be a while before the Slug Sannin would be ready to reply.

Tsunade found herself curious, wondering what her old teammate could want now. Perhaps another mission or more supplies?

She could still hardly believe how the first mission she sent the blond turned out. Her fellow blond seemed to have amazing luck with missions, whether it was good or bad was a matter of opinion. Four times he'd been sent on seemingly simple, run of the mill missions, and wound up embroiled in a battle over the fate of a country, or in one case a village. While in the end they all turned out well and he'd been instrumental with saving the country, he and his team had been faced with danger far beyond the scope of the missions and they should have been prepared for.

She felt a little bad for her younger brother figure, simultaneously facing the death of comrades and his first kill, and under the haze of the Kyuubi's power no less, but she was glad that, according to Jiraiya's messages and Shikamaru and Shizune, he'd been able to move past it.

Still, it wasn't time for a report and there probably wasn't a mission request, so what was…

Ah, that's right; Jiraiya said he was thinking of going to Taki to warn them of the looming clouds on the horizon in the near future. Could that be it? But the message seemed a bit long for that.

She opened the scroll and began to read. Jiraiya started off saying he wouldn't believe what the brat had gotten himself into now, causing her to frown.

As she read, her face went through a range of emotion. It set into a serious expression upon reading of Shibuki's initial response to the news, a small smile at finding out Naruto had unknowingly befriended another Jinchuriki; a 14-year old named Fuu. After all, only a Jinchuriki could truly understand what a Jinchuriki went through. Her brow furrowed once more when she learned of the deliberations of the council and how the girl had run away in an effort to protect her village and live out the rest of her life in some form of happiness.

She had mixed feelings about the girl's decision. It was reckless and showed how little hope she had for her own future, but she was knowingly sacrificing herself for her village, an admirable trait and something every shinobi should be prepared to do.

She sat up in her chair, her frown deepening as she discovered they found her under attack from the Akatsuki. This was followed by shock and a hint of disgust when she learned of the identities and abilities of the two Akatsuki. An immortal that could link his body to another's by ingesting their blood? A living ragdoll who had fought her grandfather and survived by stealing the hearts and organs of others? What kinds of monsters were in the Akatsuki?

Then she sighed and closed her eyes, shaking her head with a soft, wistful smile when she reached the end and learned that Taki had banished the girl after Naruto had managed to convince her to return, and Naruto had offered her a chance to join Konoha. That was just like the brat. Somehow, he could make almost anyone believe in him and hope again.

He was right; she wasn't going to let her wander the nations alone. She'd be guaranteed to be captured, and then she'd die and the Nanabi would fall into Akatsuki's clutches, neither of which she'd allow.

"Damn brat…" Tsunade commented with a smirk as she shifted to once again look out the window. "Always getting himself into trouble."

* * *

Silence reigned within Konoha's council chamber as the various clan heads and advisors digested everything they'd just learned. Tsunade had informed them of everything she'd learned from Jiraiya's letter. At the moment, they were focusing on the new information about the Akatsuki, which would promptly be added to their village's bingo book.

"How troublesome…" Shikaku sighed, borrowing his son's catch phrase as he leaned forward and propped his head up on his arm. "These Akatsuki… what kind of monster are they going to come up with next?"

Choza shook his head, his face set in a grim look as memories of battles long passed filled his mind. "The cult of Jashin…" He said with a grunt of disgust. "I'd hoped we'd heard the last of those heretical fiends after the end of the last war."

"Unfortunately, you were mistaken." Danzo, the war hawk of Konoha spoke up. "I believe I've heard something of this Hidan." The veteran shinobi said, drawing all eyes to him, listening intently. It was well known that the man's information network was second in the village only to Jiraiya's. His tone and expression remaining in their constant, neutral state, he began, "Shortly after Yugakure transitioned into a tourist village, there was an… incident. One of the shinobi couldn't tolerate their new, peaceful state, believing that killing was the sole purpose for which we shinobi exist. The madman slaughtered all his neighbors before vanishing, never to be heard from again. I know little of him, but this Hidan matches his description. With such an outlook, it's no surprise he would find the Jashinist religion appealing."

Tsunade closed her eyes before lacing her fingers together before of her chest and leaning forward. "… We'll have to contact Taki and Yu for any information they might have about these two, but considering the circumstances I doubt they'll have anything that helpful. Simply waiting around for them to attack us again would be a mistake. We should begin putting together a task force with the specific purpose of fighting the Akatsuki." Opening her eyes, her gaze washed over the others in the room, many of whom nodded at her words before she decided it was time to move on. "But that's a thought for the future. For now, let's move on. There's still the matter of Taki's Jinchuriki."

"I believe we should follow through with Naruto's offer and allow her to join the village." Danzo spoke. "Two of our rival villages possess two Jinchuriki each. Taking the girl in would level the playing field."

"Jiraiya said he wouldn't mind taking her on as a second apprentice." Tsunade stated. "She'd benefit from his tutelage and we wouldn't need to worry about the Akatsuki showing their faces any sooner than they would have otherwise."

Hiashi, the stoic leader of the Hyuuga clan, spoke up for the first time, his pupil-less, white orbs narrowing in consideration. "Allowing her to wander the nations alone to be captured would be foolish. We have no idea what the Akatsuki are planning to do with the Biju. Regardless of their plans, allowing power like that to fall into the hands of these madmen can only be pure folly."

"On the other hand, even with her banishment, we have to consider that she may still be loyal to Taki." Homura, one of Hiruzen Sarutobi's old teammates, said, cupping his chin and stroking his beard in thought. "After all, she has already tried to sacrifice herself for them. An admirable trait any shinobi should bear, but it shows that she did care for her village. In the worst case, this whole thing could have been an attempt to use her friendship with Naruto to infiltrate our village, with the Akatsuki's near capture of the girl a happy accident."

"Jiraiya's our top spymaster for a reason." Shikaku said, waving off the man's suspicions. "If he trains her as he offered to, I doubt he'd miss any red flags."

Tsunade sat back, her eyes closed. She'd already thought of a lot of the risks and advantages of allowing Fuu to join the village. She opened her brown orbs and allowed her gaze to sweep across the clan heads. "I've made my decision. We'll accept Fuu into our ranks and allow her to train with Naruto under Jiraiya. We can consider being under close observation from my old teammate reason enough to bypass the normal probationary period once they return to the village two years from now. Are there any objections?" When there was no response, she pushed herself back from the table. "In that case, we can consider this meeting over. Consider what we've leaned about the Akatsuki and provide any suggestions you can for the task force we'll put together."

With that, the various individuals began to leave. As they did, the war hawk of Konoha thought of the implications of what had happened there.

If all went well, Konoha would soon possess a second Jinchuriki, a boon for the village. He had no doubt Jiraiya would do everything in his power to impart the same ideals as his sensei into her, and put together with the Kyuubi container's idealism, and she'd probably wind up another optimist like Hashirama Senju and those who followed his will.

He found that line of thinking childish and naïve. If Hashirama hadn't been so damn optimistic and had used the Biju to dominate the other nations as opposed to giving them away to establish a balance, Konoha would be the only village standing and they would have true peace. Then they wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.

He would like to take the girl under his wing and turn her into a true shinobi, knowing that the boy was likely beyond his reach, but he couldn't refute that, idealist though he may be, Jiraiya was an exceptionally skilled individual and a good teacher.

Either way, with this, it was less likely another Biju would fall into the hands of the Akatsuki. He had his own suspicions about the group and if they proved true, whether the girl was trustworthy or not, that was vital. After all, the Nanabi could always be removed and placed in someone else, though that meant its power probably couldn't be used in this crisis. Still, it would keep the Biju out of their clutches.

As he walked down the hall, leaning upon his cane, his mind wandered years into the past, his usually squinted eye and neutral expression showing no signs of this stroll down memory lane. Back to the source of his worries about the criminal group… to a brief meeting with a man in an orange mask.

* * *

Hidden behind a wooden wall in a village near the eastern border of the Land of Waterfalls, several young beauties engaged in tranquil conversation as they enjoyed the warm waters of the local hot springs. Twelve in all, and though all had nice figures, their appearances ranged greatly; among them was a girl who was a bit on the short side with long brown hair, but with a figure to die for, a girl with short, blur hair that flared out at back, and another with pink hair.

However, as the women enjoyed their relaxing soak in the waters, they were blissfully unaware of the sound of perverted giggling just beyond the borders of their bath.

Peering into the forbidden gardens through a hole in the fence was the legendary pervert and toad Sannin, Jiraiya, enjoying his favorite past time: 'research'. His teeth were bared in a wide, lecherous grin as he took in the women's curves.

"Heya boss!" A voice called out from behind, startling Jiraiya. With a slight jump, he swerved his upper body around and craned his neck to look down, seeing none other than the toad he'd sent to Tsunade just a few days earlier.

"G- Gamatsukai?" Jiraiya questioned, frowning. "You're back already? I figured it'd take a couple days for you to get back to me, what with the council meeting and what not."

"Nah, it was all over pretty fast." The toad responded, moving as if to shrug his shoulders. "I remembered you said you'd be staying around here so I figured I'd come looking for you so I could head back home. Hey, what're you up to here, anyway. Peeping again?" The little amphibian asked, frowning in disapproval at his summoner. The toad was taught to respect women, and most of its kind disapproved of the Sannin's perverted ways.

"Yeah, now keep it down." Jiraiya replied in a harsh whisper as he took the message. "Thanks, I'd give you something, but I don't want to tear myself away from the this show. I'll check it out once my research is done." Jiraiya said, his lecherous grin once more playing on his lips as he turned back to the peephole before waving over his shoulder. "Now go on, unless you'd care to join me. Oh look at those…" he trailed off into another fit of giggles.

The toad glared at the white haired shinobi before inhaling deeply, puffing out his chest in the process, and bringing it hand to the side of its mouth. Finally, he yelled, "What the hell do you think you're doing, spying on the women's bath, you old pervert!?"

Jiraiya's head shot over to the toad, who was now grinning cheekily, his eyes wide with shock and his face set in an expression of despair. Before he could voice this, he heard the sound of girl's screaming. "No! My fun's been ruined!"

That quickly fell to the back of his mind as he found he had other things to worry about. Over the sounds of panicked screams, he heard furious shouts and the sound of metal grinding against wood, like one would hear when a blade was removed from it's sheathe. Crap! Some of those women must have been kunoichi!

"Perverted bastard! Wait till I get my hands on him!" One voice cut through the chaos on the other side of the fence as the women scrambled to either flee or hunt down the peeping tom.

"When I'm through with him, he's going to be black and blue!"

"Spy on us will he!? I'll take care of that! If I catch him, I'm going to take off something he'll miss, and I'm not talking about his limbs! Then let's see if he pulls this crap again!" Jiraiya's face turned as white as his traitorous teammate's as that threat reached his ears, his entire body stiffening as sweat poured down his face at the threat to his manhood.

He shot up and began to bolt away with a panicked yell, only to trip and fall. He turned his head, his face set in a look of anger and betrayal as he saw the smirking messenger had caught his ankle with his tongue before hopping away to enjoy the show.

Jiraiya quickly scrambled to his feet, only for kunai to rain down in front of him. Turning, he saw a mob of women mostly clad in their bath towels rushing towards him.

"W-wait!" Jiraiya cried, the mob already too close to escape from. He raised his arms to defend his vital spots and shouted, "Mercy!" But he knew he would receive none.

The amphibian clutched his stomach and laughed at its summoner's misfortune as he was overtaken by the mob, shoved to the ground and given the righteous beat down they felt he so richly deserved. In moments, he was completely hidden by a cloud as the mob wailed on him, the only sign he was there being the cries of agony and futile pleas for forgiveness.

* * *

Naruto picked up a piece of beef from the charcoal blazer before him with a pair of chop sticks. He and Fuu had decided to grab a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant while their sensei went off and did his own thing as they waited for the reply from Konoha. While the blond would have preferred ramen, he'd taken what his teacher had told him to heart and no longer ate the noodle dish almost exclusively anymore. Besides, while he'd found some nice ramen stands, they all paled in comparison to the heavenly taste of Ichiraku's back home.

As he ate the grilled beef, he looked to the green haired Jinchuriki, who was staring down at the blazer, her eyes half open as she picked at the meat without actually taking any for herself.

"You know, if you keep just picking at the food like that, I'll scoop it all up before you get anything." Naruto commented. Not like he had much choice, wait too long and it'll burn.

"I've already had some." Fuu replied, not looking away from her hands.

"What do you think we should do after this? Maybe we should check out the hot springs. I never did check out the ones back home." The Uzumaki survivor commented, looking up to the ceiling in thought. He'd heard good things about how relaxing a good soak at the hot springs could be, but the only time he'd actually been to them was when Ebisu had taken him there to use the steaming water as incentive for his water walking training… that had not been pleasant.

"Maybe…" The green haired Jinchuriki replied, seeming to consider it.

"Oh, never mind, the Pervy Sage might be there." Naruto commented before grinning at his friend. "Wouldn't want him peeking in on you, I bet you'd stick one of those water swords of yours right up his ass if you caught him trying to." That got a chuckle out of the green haired Jinchuriki, who thought to herself that he was probably right.

Said toad sage would have sneezed had a fist full of feminine fury not rammed into his face at that very moment.

"So, what's got you down?" Naruto questioned, tilting his head slightly. "Aw, don't tell me you're still worried about what Grandma Tsunade might say, are you?" Ever since they'd left, the orange eyed Jinchuriki had been withdrawn, speaking only when spoken to and giving quick responses.

The blond took her silence as a yes and continued, "I'm telling you, don't worry. She's sure to let you in."

"And if she does, then what?" Fuu replied, her orange orbs rising to meet his ocean blue pools. "They'll probably treat me the same way Taki did."

"Well we won't know until then, will we? So why worry about it?" Naruto responded. "Besides, I've already told you there are a lot of people who know about me and treat me the same as everyone else, why would they see you any different? You'll have Grandma Tsunade, Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Teuchi, Ayame, a whole bunch of people who'll accept you."

"And you said Iruka treated you just like everyone else at first." She pointed out. "They stopped seeing you that way because they know you, Naruto, but they don't know me." Despite these thoughts, she gave him a small smile, remembering that regardless, he'd be with her every step of the way. "Thanks for the sentiment though, and maybe you're right." With that, she started picking at her food again. "Not that it'll matter if the Hokage doesn't give her ok."

"If that's what's bringing you down, your worries are over." They heard the toad Sannin's voice say drawing both their attention.

"Oh, Pervy Sage you… whoa!" Both jerked from the shock as they laid eyes on the Sannin. His face was marked with various blur bruises, his lip was swollen and his right eye was swollen shut. "What the hell happened to you!?"

A cloud of gloom seemed to appear over the legendary ninja as his head tilted forward, his hair shadowing his face and his entire body slumped.

"… I don't want to talk about it…"

Naruto immediately guessed what must have happened and grinned at his sensei in amusement.

"You got caught peeping and bought yourself a beat down, didn't you?"

"… Shut up, brat." Jiraiya replied. Fuu's expression twisted in annoyance as she gave him a condemning stare for his perverted habits. The toad Sannin coughed, hoping to ignore the last few moments. "Anyway, as I was saying, Tsunade got back to me a lot faster than I expected." He turned to the green haired Jinchuriki, crossing his arms with a smile. "Congratulations, Fuu. Looks like I'll be your sensei from now on."

Naruto turned back to the former Taki kunoichi, giving her his fox-like grin as he said, "You hear that? We'll be sticking together after all. I told you there was nothing to worry about." Fuu had actually brightened up for the first time since her exile at that. "Have you ever been to Konoha?"

She shrugged in response. "Can't say I have. I've got to say, I'm looking forward to it."

"And I'll show you all the best spots around the village. And wait till you try Ichiraku's! They've got the best ramen in the whole continent!" Naruto stated.

The green haired girl gave him an amused look. "So you've told me. Over and over…"

"Because it's true! You'll see when you get there." Naruto stated before gesturing towards the Sage. "And the old man might be a huge perv, but he's a hell of a teacher. When those Akatsuki come out of the wood works, we'll make them wish they never heard of us!"

Jiraiya slapped his student on the back of his head in annoyance. "Damn it brat, how many times have I told you not to call me a pervert?"

"You spend all your free time spying on unsuspecting women. How exactly are you _not_ a pervert?" Fuu questioned.

"Simple. I am no mere pervert. I…" He began, his mouth spreading into a proud smile as his chest puffed out with pride. "… am a super-pervert!"

Silence fell over the restaurant as both his students stared at him with looks of disbelief and mortification. Their reactions were shared by all the other occupants, who stared at him with various expressions, none of them good. Silence reigned throughout the restaurant and one could actually hear a cricket chirping as all everyone stared at the trio. After a few moments, Fuu pointed at her new sensei.

"Please tell me he didn't just say that." She asked, a pleading tone in her voice, hoping that this was just some joke and her new teacher didn't seriously just say something that embarrassing.

Naruto turned away from the Sannin, pinching his nose and shaking his head before waving dismissively in his direction, aware of all the eyes on them. He normally liked attention but this was just humiliating. "Just tune him out when he gets like this."

Jiraiya stumbled out of his stance; almost face faulting at his students' words. Righting himself, he looked at the crowd, suddenly aware of all the eyes on them, he decided he should end the conversation there. "Anyway, be sure to come to the room early and rest up. We've got a new mission, and trust me, it's a doozy." With that, he vanished in a poof of smoke.

Once the awkwardness passed, the two Jinchuriki talked at length about their sensei and Konoha before they finished and paid for their meal. As the two exited the restaurant, they found their sensei standing beside the door, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

Being the first one out, Naruto noticed him first. "What do you want now, Pervy Sage?"

Jiraiya gave no reaction to his student's nickname, having come to accept there was nothing he could do to stop him from calling him that, as he reached into his pocket. "Oh, I just thought Fuu might still be a little down, and I thought this might cheer her up a bit."

He pulled out a blue cloth and threw it to her. When she caught his, she discovered that there was metal sewn into it on the other side. Though she already knew what it must be, she turned it over and saw that it was a new forehead protector, marked with the symbol of Konoha. She smiled as she stared into the reflective surface before raising her head to look at her new sensei and her new teammate. "Thank you… I won't let you down for sticking your necks out for me like this."

"Don't mention it. You're one of my precious people Fuu, even if Grandma Tsunade turned you down, I wouldn't have let you wander the nations on your own, no matter what I had to do." Naruto told her.

'_Precious people…_' Fuu thought to herself, her smile taking on a heartfelt quality. Thinking of the time she'd spent with her new team. She already knew Naruto was precious to her, and despite his antics, Jiraiya, one of the few people to treat her like a normal human, was one of her precious people too. '_I wonder if I'll have more precious people someday…_'

* * *

The following day, the trio walked along a dirt path as the sun shined down on the land, having left early and traversed the mountainous no man's land east of the Lands of Waterfalls and entered a dense forest, while quickly finding the road and making their way though. They soon reached the edge of the woods, stepping beyond its boundaries and taking their first look at the country they'd stepped into.

The country they were in was a nice place that seemed to give off a peaceful aura, strongly contrasting what one would find if they just traveled a little further into the country. Indeed many people would see the verdant lands and believe they'd found a good nation to visit or settle down, only to be sorely disappointed, and potentially lose everything they had. The path they were on was framed with trees and long, rice terraces, the water in which reflected the sunlight, causing the hills to almost shine.

Naruto looked up at the sound of the flapping of wings to see three white birds fly overhead, disappearing into the horizon as Fuu, wearing her new Konoha forehead protector on her arm in place of her old Taki one, looked to the terraces.

With the birds out of sight, Nareuto's eyes returned to the rice fields as his hands clasped the back of his head in a relaxed posture as he took in the beauty of the land. "So, where are we now, Pervy Sage? This where our mission's taking us, and who hired us anyway?"

The Sannin's eyes surveyed the land, searching for any hint of what he knew lurked beneath the surface of the country. "Well, your right about one thing, this is our destination, but we don't have a client this time around." He said, turning to his student. Seeing his curious gaze, he elaborated, "This time around, the mission's coming from Konoha itself. And like I told you, it's a big one. To be more accurate, this is an S-rank mission."

Both the Jinchuriki looked surprised to hear that, their attentions snapping to the man. "S-rank? What's so special about this country?" Naruto asked.

"You know what they say; looks can be deceiving. Back in Taki, we were warned to stay away from this place." Fuu commented, causing both the males to look at her as she looked out at the terraces. "This is the Land of Rice Fields."

Naruto blinked before his blue orbs returned to the hills, rice fields as far as the eye can see. "… Land of Rice Fields, huh? Talk about unimaginative. Let me guess, rice is their chief export."

Fuu nodded. "That's right. This country's mostly known for exporting rice. It's a pretty small nation that's always been fairly poor, barely able to support its people. On top of that, their Daimyos have always been greedy and tax their people into poverty. Because of that, a lot of the country is near lawless."

"That's right." Jiraiya commented, nodding in approval. "Well, color me impressed. You really know your stuff, huh Fuu?"

Fuu scratched her cheek and averted her orange orbs, slightly embarrassed at the praise as she so rarely received any. "Thanks. I did a lot of reading back in…" Hurt briefly flashed in her eyes, as it usually did when reminded of her former village. "… Taki…"

That was an understatement. She _loved_ to read, it was one of her favorite hobbies. Facing the cruel reality of life as a demon host, the green haired girl would find comfort in written text of all kinds. Atlases, history, fantasy, science fiction, adventure, romance, she found submerging herself in the content of books of all kinds to be a welcome escape from the world and her troubles. And since Shibuki made certain they couldn't bar her from the library and as she had no social life due to being universally scorned, she spent most of the time she wasn't training or on missions reading. One of her favorite past times was to relax in her little grove with a good book in her hands.

On top of that, the Land of Rice Fields' recent history was well documented in her former village. After all, they were the most recent attackers the country had faced.

"I'm not surprised the Land of Rice Fields history would be well documented in Taki. After all, they're responsible for the most recent attacks on the village." Jiraiya commented.

"Huh?" the genin responded, curiosity overcoming his features. "This country attacked Taki? When did that happen?"

"A few years before we were born." The former Taki kunoichi answered him, having read about the conflict, if one could call it that. Actually, it'd be more accurate to say 'massacre'.

Seeing as the blond was apparently the only member of their group not in the know, Jiraiya crossed his arms and began to fill him in on the history of the nation. "You see, Naruto. The daimyo of this country sought to claim what lied beyond his borders. Despite the fact that this country had no formal ninja village, just a few scattered clans, he not only ordered them to attack the Land of Waterfalls, but also the Land of Hot Water. His greed was so great that, in his lust for power, he commanded them to attack both at once, believing he could take everything from his neighbors in one fell swoop."

Naruto's face twisted in disgust for this leader who he'd never met. There was no way that had any hope of success unless the Land of Rice Fields had a major trump card up its sleeve, and considering Taki was still standing, that obviously wasn't the case.

The daimyo of this land had sent his people, who put their faith in him, who trusted his guidance, into the jaws of death on a hopeless quest just to satisfy his own hunger for power. It should have been clear to anyone they'd have no chance, and the fact that he was either too stupid to realize this, or had disregarded this, and sent his subordinates anyway was sickening.

Unknown to the blond, most leaders were of the same opinion, which was partly why the country had no real allies.

Shaking his head at the pointless waste of life, Jiraiya added, "I have to at least give him credit for being smart enough not to pull the Land of Fire into the whole mess, but still everyone could see it was hopeless from the start. Well, except for him, blinded by greed as he was."

His thoughts confirmed, Naruto's eyes squeezed shut as he turned to Fuu. "So what, you were told to avoid this country in case of bitterness from the war, or because of the crime?"

Fuu shook her head, her expression becoming solemn as she stared out at the land, placing a hand on her hip.

"No… it was because a new ninja village was formed here recently. We didn't think much of it at first… until we learned who was behind it."

Naruto's brow furrowed before his blue orbs shot open in realization. A recently formed minor village with a dangerous leader? He could only think of one that fit that description.

His hands clenched as the image of a man with skin literally as white as a sheet, purple tribal-like markings around his eyes, fangs and slit pupils, making him resemble a snake that seemed to radiate a sense of unease.

"Otogakure?" Naruto questioned, and Jiraiya nodded.

'_Orochimaru._' The blond Uzumaki mentally snarled. So, this was the country that pasty faced bastard had created his village in.

There was a short list of people that the young Uzumaki truly, truly hated, to a point that he felt he could never forgive them. The Snake Sannin, the man who had attacked Konoha over a grudge, who had defiled the souls of two of his idols, who had committed so many atrocities and was responsible for the deaths of so many innocent people, including his grandfather figure, sometimes for little more than his own amusement and who, along with Itachi, corrupted the first real friend he'd ever had with the intent to, from what Naruto understood, devour his soul and wear his skin as a suit, had the dishonor of being at the top of that list. Just seeing that cruel smirk of his was enough to make Naruto want to bash his face in! Not just out of hate, but so he would never be able to screw with people's lives ever again.

But if this was where he'd created his village… then this was where his wayward teammate had fled to after crossing the border.

'_Sasuke._' His expression hardened into a look of determination. If this mission had to do with them then this could be his chance to finally fulfill his promise to Sakura and save his brother in all but blood from him own stupidity and thirst for revenge. Images and memories from that fateful day flashed into his mind; the shock of discovering Sasuke had abandoned the village, Sakura's tears as she begged him to bring her back, the Uchiha's cold indifference to the sacrifices of those he once called his friends, the crushing despair he felt when he realized he'd failed, which only grew when he saw Sakura after waking up in his hospital bed.

He wouldn't fail again. If the Uchiha heir was here, there was no way he wasn't leaving without him. He'd let his teammates, not just the rest of Team 7 but the team put together to retrieve him, down once, he wasn't going to again.

Jiraiya and Fuu watched hints of emotion play across Naruto's features before the Uzumaki heir turned to the sage, his face set in a look of complete seriousness. "So what's the mission? Are we spying on Oto, and where is it anyway?"

Jiraiya shrugged, holding up his arms and shaking his head as he closed his eyes. "Haven't a clue." He answered before looking back at his students. "That's what we're here for. Like Taki, Oto's an actual hidden village. Difference is no one's got the slightest clue where it is. Our job is to clear up that little mystery, and if we can, gather information on Orochimaru… and your old pal, Sasuke."

Fuu frowned as she stared up at the Sannin. "Is this really a good idea?" She asked, causing the Sannin to look at her. "I mean, even in a small village like my old one, we've heard of the things Orochimaru's been up to. We'll be looking for his headquarters; a hostile ninja village with kami knows what kind of freaks he's created with his experiments. That's probably not a problem for you, but Naruto and I could be in over our heads."

"Relax." Jiraiya replied, waving off her concern. "If worst comes to worst and we run into that old snake in the grass, I'll handle him, and I'm sure you can handle whatever else the village can throw at you. Besides, I doubt it'll come to that."

Naruto nodded, punching his open palm. While he wasn't going to just rush in like he once might have, he was still eager to begin their search and perhaps save his wayward teammate. "Right! Then let's get a move on."

* * *

It wasn't long before the Sannin and the two Jinchuriki, who for the sake of stealth had hid away their forehead protectors for the time being, found a small town… though not much of one. The whole place looked deserted, its buildings simple, run down wooden shacks for the most part, riddled with holes and weathered down by the elements. As a sharp wind blew through the area, causing the trio's hair to flutter in the breeze and sending clanking sound echoing through the area as the various signs on the shops and taverns shifted in the air, most hanging on by a thread and on the verge of falling to the ground. The fence surrounding the village was littered with various worn and faded flyers, their purpose long since passed and now meaningless.

While most would dismiss the place as a ghost town, the three ninja sensed many eyes on them. Looking closely, Naruto could see various figures hiding in the shadows of the torn buildings, eyeing them like one would a piece of meat. It was clear to any that they were looking for a mark, and thought they'd be easy prey.

Naruto's face scrunched up as he looked into the town. "Eesh, this looks like the kind of place where you're just asking to get mugged if you're stupid enough to set foot in it. So, what do you say, Pervy Sage let's go around this place and…" He turned to his sensei… and then saw the perverted grin on his face. "Oh for the love of…" He muttered in annoyance, already knowing what his sensei was going to say and resisting the urge to face palm.

"Nonsense!" The Sannin said in an eager tone, his eyes curled in smile shapes similar to a certain silver haired jonin's and shining with barely restrained mirth. "This place is perfect! This is just the kind of town where that's bound to have a tavern, full of pretty girls where people will go to relax and unwind! It's the best place to pick up rumors and morsels of knowledge! This is the essence of information gathering!" Of course, hints to Oto's location weren't the only kind of 'morsels' he was planning to look for.

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Pervy Sage… I don't think this is the kind of place where you'll find any information on Oto… or anything else you'd want."

Naruto knew that the Sannin was right about taverns; he'd been taught a thing or two about spying and information gathering by the man. Many ninja would go to a bar to unwind after a mission and as they put away the drinks, their lips might loosen up. If you could blend in, it was the perfect place to pick up rumors and bits of information, as well as a target to capture and interrogate.

Taverns were the perfect place to start looking for information when you don't know where to turn, but this really didn't seem like the right place to look. Anyone could tell this was a town of pick pockets and thieves. Besides, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't afraid the Sannin would get sidetracked trying to win over any ladies he ran into. Since it wasn't likely to hurt their efforts, he'd probably take his own sweet time for the sake of his 'research'.

"He's right, Jiraiya-sensei." Fuu spoke up for the first time, stepping forward and peering into the town. She leaned forward with her hands clasped behind her back as her orange orbs scanned the run down buildings. Several of the figures hid themselves at this, but trained shinobi like the three of them could easily pick up their presences. "This seems like the kind of town where no matter where you go; you'll wind up walking into a rip off joint. We should just move on to the next place."

"Not a chance." The Sannin replied, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. "I can understand why you might be intimidated by this place, but the legendary Jiraiya never backs down from a challenge. I won't rest until I've milked this place of every bit of information." He turned to look at his students. "While, as shinobi, you're far from innocent, and those forehead protectors mark you as old enough to drink, nevertheless this is far too dark a place for your young eyes." The Sannin said solemnly before his tone uplifted once more. "Don't worry, though. I'm more than willing to sacrifice myself for the greater good." He said, cackling at the end.

While neither of the teens responded, the dull expressions on their faces made it clear exactly what they thought of his 'sacrifice'.

The blond Uzumaki then blinked in confusion when Jiraiya held out his hand to him, as if waiting to be given something.

"… If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, you know where you can shove that hand." Naruto stated, crossing his arms stubbornly and turning his head away from his sensei, causing Fuu to raise a mint colored brow.

"Come on kid, you know how it works. Information takes money." Jiraiya said, curling and uncurling his fingers as if to say 'gimme, gimme'.

"It's not happening, Pervy Sage! Spend your own damn money!" Naruto shouted.

Fuu gave the Sannin a disappointed stare. "What kind of grown man mooches off a pair of teenagers?

"Oh, if you think that's bad, then get this! He's loaded! I've seen his checkbook and I can tell you, I'd never seen so many zeroes!" Naruto cried, pointing accusingly at the snow haired man before crossing his arms again. "But give him the chance, and he'll send you straight to the poorhouse. I let the perv talk me into letting him hold onto my wallet once, thing was full to bursting. Two hours later, I find him in a bar with a girl on each arm, and he'd spent every ryo I had! You'd think a best selling author would have no trouble paying for anything he wants…"

Fuu's expression, which clearly displayed her growing disillusionment with the man, promptly shifted into one of thoughtful curiosity. "You're a best selling author? That's a surprise. What have you written? I might have to check it out myself."

Naruto's eyes widened at this, remembering her mentioning how she loved to read, causing him to sweat drop as he held his hands out in a slowing gesture. "Now just hold on, he's-"

But the boy was cut off by the Sannin's raucous laughter. The legendary shinobi placed his hand on his chin and gave a proud smile. "That's right! You're looking at one of the most famed authors in all the Elemental Nations! My books are works of art that the masses clamor to gain the moment they hit the shelves. The waiting list on each of my works, the famous Icha Icha series, goes on for months without fail!"

"'Icha Icha'? Never heard of it." Fuu commented, causing the Sannin to give her a look of shock.

"What? Why that's a crime in itself! I'll have to order you a special copy next time I have the chance."

"Would you? Thanks, Jiraiya-sensei!" Fuu said cheerfully, closing her eyes and giving him a wide smile.

Naruto tried to speak, but the Sannin cut him off again. "Think nothing of it. It's the least I can do for my newest student." He removed the scroll strapped to his back and threw it to Naruto. So happy that he may have just found a new convert, he decided to give a little reward to his two students. "You know what? I'm in such a good mood right now, I think I'll go ahead and splurge a bit and use my own cash. You two go around the town and wait for me on the other side."

With that, Jiraiya happily marched into the town, following the scent of perfume just barely detectable in the air, his mind filled with images of what awaited him at the source of the aroma and the possibility of a new convert to the joys of being a pervert.

Naruto watched him go before turning to Fuu. "Uh, listen Fuu, I don't think those books of his are really up your alley…"

"Don't tell me, you'll spoil it!" Fuu shushed him.

* * *

Jiraiya briskly walked through the streets of the run down village with a confident smirk on his face, following the faint scent of perfume that lingered in the air, tantalizing his senses with the promise of lovely delights… and maybe the information he was searching for, but that wasn't chief on his mind at the moment. After all, unless they were extremely unlucky, they had a few days before they were in danger of being exposed. Plenty of time to gain info on Oto.

So he marched on, ignoring the many eyes he could feel gazing at him from the shadows, just daring them to try something as he followed his nose. Finally, he found his destination; a small tavern in a similar state of disrepair as the surrounding buildings. The building was shaped like an L, a warn lantern hung by its door. There were huge spots on its roof that missed tiles and the building and its doors were riddled with cracks. It was in slightly better condition than the surrounding buildings though, lacking holes large enough to peer in through like they did.

Taking a wiff, the Sannin nodded. "Ah ha, that perfume is coming from in here."

Sliding the warn door open, he stepped inside. It seemed to be in slightly better condition on the inside. Still, it was a rather dull looking place; no matter where you looked everything was a dark color. The walls were covered in black tarps except for the fusuma door at the back wall and the small bar only had four booths. However, what drew his attention was that the bar was full of women, six and all of them mostly wearing black, sleeveless vests and matching dark pants. The only exceptions being the apparent bartender, who wore a pink business suit, along with two women at a booth.

The bartender was a pale woman who had short, straight brown hair that fell just below her chin and black eyes with her lips painted a deep crimson. She leaned on the bar, turning at the sound of the door opening and welcomed Jiraiya into her establishment.

The other two unique women had almost opposing appearances. The first was a pale red head with her hair tied in two buns and cobalt eyes. She wore a blue, sleeveless kimono that just passed her knees. Her friend was a light tan had blue hair that covered her right, pale green eye and wore a red cocktail dress with black lace lining. Both women had gorgeous figures which their choice in clothing showed off generously and pink lipstick.

However, another thing they shared in common, along with the barkeep, was that each had a malicious glint in their eyes as they observed the Sannin.

"Get a load of this fool with the crazy hair." The redhead said low enough that even the sage's trained ears couldn't pick up.

"Well, they say a fool and his money are soon parted." The blue haired girl commented as she watched him take a seat at the booth next to them.

"Food and drink! I'm in the mood for some fun!" Jiraiya ordered with a laugh.

* * *

The two Jinchuriki sat together on a stone sign at the top of a hill, looking down on the village as they waited for their sensei. The Uzumaki propped his arm up on his knee and rested his hand on his palm, wearing the toad summoning scroll his sensei had left to him strapped to him the same way the Sannin did.

"Geez, I just know the Pervy Sage is down there trying to get into some girl's skirt instead of doing his job." Naruto sighed as he closed his eyes, annoyance clear in his tone. He cracked open a single ocean blue orb and looked to Fuu. "I'm telling you, you're not going to like his book. Think of what you've seen of the old perv, what do you think his book is about?"

The white clad kunoichi just shrugged. "So it'll be a little spicy, nothing wrong with that." Naruto's head shot up and he blinked in surprise at the girl, causing her to tilt her head to the side. "What?"

"… You're not a pervert, are you?"

Fuu looked affronted, jerking back as if struck and seeming to nearly fall off her perch before leaning toward him and shouting, "No! What would make you think that!?"

The blond held his hands up in a placating manner. "Sorry, sorry. Look, trust me, if you're not a pervert, you're not going to like his book. Hell, you'll probably want to hit him over the head with it."

Fuu eyed the blond suspiciously. "… Have you actually read it?"

"Wha-?" Naruto choked out, his cheeks reddening as he thought of what was likely in his sensei's book. "O- of course not!"

"Then how do you know what's in it?"

Naruto started to say something, but no words came to him. His mouth opened and closed multiple times before finally, he huffed and turned away. "Fine, suit yourself."

Fuu gave a cheeky smile, knowing she'd won their argument before her orange orbs returned to the town. "So, how long do you think it's going to take for him to get back? Think he'll actually find something?" She asked, leaning back and kicking her legs through the air.

"Che." Naruto scoffed, his face scrunching up as he crossed his arms. "Find something? Yeah, right. He's the kind of person who likes to put off doing work as long as he can. He'll probably spend all day looking at girls and having a good time before coming up here empty handed at sundown, if we're lucky."

"Oh, come on. He can't be _that_ irresponsible. I mean, he's one of the Legendary Sannin." Fuu replied hopefully. Naruto snorted at her optimism.

* * *

Jiraiya threw back his head, his loud laughter echoing throughout the bar as he held the blue haired girl and her redhead friend to him. On the table before him was a single, half empty bottle of sake. While the blue haired girl managed to look generally interested in him, the red haired girl's eyes couldn't hide their malicious gleam.

However, he was completely taken in by their looks and the flowery scent of their perfume didn't notice the wicked intent in those cobalt orbs.

"Ah, what're you doing in a place like this? Not that I'm complaining, a pretty face is a welcome sight anywhere." Jiraiya said through his laughter.

"Why we were just waiting for you." The redhead said.

"You looked like a cool guy to hang out with." The blue haired girl added, snuggling into his side.

"Well, I- uh." The Sannin began before he was interrupted when the bartender abruptly shoved a bill in his face.

Grinning smugly down at the man, the pink clad woman said, "First thing's first, there's the little matter of your bill."

Jiraiya gaped at the sheet, looking in shock at the ridiculous price. One bottle of sake for that much? It wasn't even the good stuff! "That's mine? You sure you don't have too many zeroes there?"

A trickle of fear shot through his spine as he remembered his student's words. They… they couldn't have been right, could they? He, Jiraiya of the Sannin, couldn't have just walked into a scam, could he?

Oh, he wasn't worried. He was sure he could escape from whatever trap they'd set for him. Normally, he could fight his way out even more easily, but that would compromise their secret mission.

He was more concerned about the possibility that his students had been right. They'd never let him live it down! "Say, this wouldn't be some kind of rip off joint, would it?"

The woman covered her mouth and laughed. "That's a very funny joke." Jiraiya laughed right along with her… until she rang the bell at her hip. She and the two women who'd been hanging at the Sannin's side until then ran off to the other side of the bar as the fusuma panel slid open. Jiraiya turned at the sound of the paper door grinding across the wooden rails to see several grinning thugs, all armed with large weapons such as axes and spiked clubs, chuckling as they looked at him.

A slightly sadistic smirk spread across the bartender's face as she threw her arm out in a threatening gesture. "Pay up old man! Everything you've got if you want to live!"

Jiraiya stared at her for a moment before he burst out laughing. It was all he could do in this absurd situation he found himself in. He, one of the legendary Sannnin, had fallen for one of the simplest tricks in the book! And now he was going to have to run for his life since he couldn't fight his way out and blow his cover. On top of that, he could only imagine what his students would say. There were few things as irritating to hear as the words 'I told you so'.

Finally, his face fell and he glumly stated, "Guess the joke's on me…"

* * *

Naruto and Fuu continued to look down at the town, waiting for their perverted sensei to return, unaware of the danger the man currently found himself in. Silence fell over the two teens as they looked for any sign of their sensei.

Naruto, however, was fairly certain they wouldn't be seeing the man for a couple of hours at least. He briefly toyed with the idea of going to try his hand at gathering information himself, knowing what his sensei had taught him, but seeing as that den of thieves was the only town in sight he knew it would be an exercise in futility.

The Uzumaki leaned back, his blue orbs rising to the sky watching the clouds as they drifted by. A smirk played across his features as he thought about his old friend, Shikamaru. He'd have no problem sitting here waiting for Jiraiya to show up, even if he knew he was probably going to come back empty handed. After all cloud watching was the lazy chunin's favorite hobby.

Fuu remained somewhat optimistic about their sensei's activities, though she agreed that he was unlikely to find anything there. Deciding to do some digging of her own, she sent out a pulse of chakra through her hand. It was too small for all but sensor shinobi to detect from a distance, but her chakra, tinged slightly with the Nanabi's power, was like a beacon to the insects of the land.

She raised her hand as a fly flew toward her, extending her finger and allowing it to land on her extended digit as she watched it carefully.

Naruto noticed this and turned toward her. He waited until she let out a sigh and sent the bug on its way, closing her eyes with a disappointed look. "Did you learn anything?"

"Does it look like I learned anything of value?" Fuu deadpanned before shaking her head. "All I learned were that there were several places where there was a nasty chakra running through the ground or where bodies would suddenly appear at random."

Naruto sat up and blinked at her before raising a brow and questioning, "How is that nothing? Those sounds like perfect places to look for one of Orochimaru's hideouts."

"It was a common fly. They don't exactly have long term memory, it couldn't tell me where these places were, just that they're here somewhere." Fuu replied, causing Naruto to grimace slightly.

Just after these words left the green haired Jinchuriki's mouth, their eyes hardened as the sound of rustling leaves reached their ears. Both went on full alert, tensing almost imperceptibly as they prepared to spring into action at any moment as they held up the façade that they hadn't noticed anything.

"Naruto…" Fuu began, low enough that he could barely hear her voice.

"I know." He answered just as quietly.

They didn't have long to wait. Moments after their short exchange concluded, three kunai shot out of a nearby bush, flying straight at them.

At the sound of cold, sharp steel cutting through the air, both immediately burst into motion, jumping from their perch in different opposite directions as the daggers dug into the sign they'd sat upon just moments before.

As she fell through the air, Fuu called a kunai to her hand from her armlet and threw it at the source of the attack while Naruto touched the ground and immediately launched himself in the enemy's direction, summoning a kunai to his hand and spinning it by the ring at its base before holding it in a reverse grip.

A figure leapt out of the bushes to dodge Fuu's attack. The individual was slightly on the short side and wore a dark blue mask that covered all but a pair of brown eyes with a hole at the top allowing a small mass of orange hair to come through. He had a pouch on the back of the right side of her hip and wore a sleeveless gray vest revealing a pair of slender arms and baggy, dark green shorts along with grey shinobi sandals and off white shin guards.

The attacker spun in mid air and drew four kunai, throwing them at the approaching blond, who deflected the first three with his own weapon before ducking under the last.

The orange haired shinobi quickly reached into the pouch at his hip to draw more weapons.

Seeing this, Naruto gave a slightly feral grin, channeling chakra into his legs and shooting forward with a burst of speed, closing the distance between them in a flash and causing the unknown shinobi's eyes to widen and let out a surprised yelp, the high pitch of her voice revealing her to be female. His fist was drawn back, ready to strike the attacker right in the face and with the stance she was in and her hand tucked away, wasn't fast enough to defend.

The last thing the attacker saw was the grin on the blond's face before his fist rapidly took up her whole vision. A lance of pain shot through her system as the blond's hand collided with her face right between the eyes. Then there was nothing but stars, followed by absolute darkness.

The figure was sent flying several yards before falling to the ground, sliding across the dirt road for a few feet and sending up a small cloud of dust before coming to a halt and lying motionless in a crumpled heap.

Naruto frowned as he stared down at her. He had been sure the girl was one of Orochimaru's agents but now… now he wasn't so sure. She was genin level. Average rookie fresh out of the academy genin level, and that didn't seem like the kind of person he'd recruit.

Still, she had attacked them, and if she was from this land she might know something, even if she wasn't one of Orochimaru's goons.

Fuu stepped forward, a look of contemplation on her face as she looked at the attacker. Turning her head to look at her fellow Jinchuriki, she said, "That was almost too easy. Who do you think she is? You've had more experience with Oto than I have, does she seem like one of Orochimaru's lackeys?"

"Don't know. She's not wearing an Oto forehead protector." Naruto replied with a shrug before looking back to the downed attacker. "Well, only one way to find out." He stated before he reached into his vest pocket and began to pull out a length of rope to tie the girl up with.

"NARUTO! FUU!" The two heard their sensei's oddly panicked voice call out to them. Both turned at the sound to see the legendary Sannin running from the town at top speed, quickly reaching and running past the pair, yelling all the way.

"Pervy Sage… what are you…?" Naruto began before another shout, this time a battle cry reached his ears. He and Fuu twisted their bodies to look back at the town and saw a horde of thugs coming their way, brandishing their weapons threateningly.

"Whoa, who're these guys? Friends of hers?" Fuu asked, turning to the unconscious masked kunoichi.

"No! I've never seen her before, but they aren't ninja! They're just the thugs of some wicked women I ran into in a tavern!" Jiraiya answered quickly, running in place as he looked back at them.

Both the teens slumped at that, their faces masks of disappointment and mortification as Naruto face palmed. "Pervy Sage…"

"We don't have time to stand here and chat! RUN!" The Sannin yelled at the pair before bolting off. Naruto quickly grabbed the unconscious kunoichi, slinging her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes as he and Fuu ran after their sensei, the thugs hot on their heels.

"Hey, what's with that guy?" One of the thugs asked, seeing the knocked out kunoichi, her baggy clothing causing him to mistake her gender as the two Jinchuriki had.

"Who cares!? We can grab his stuff too!" Another pointed out.

"How the hell did this happen!?" Naruto cried as the trio ran as fast as they could without alerting their hunters to the fact that they were ninja.

"Well, I found the tavern and everything seemed fine at first, but then they brought me the bill and…"

"In other words you walked into a rip off bar. Gee, if only someone had warned you that this would happen." Fuu snarked in irritation as she glared at the perverted sage, moving as fast as her feet could take her without the boost given by chakra.

"Damn it, Pervy Sage!" Naruto growled as he ran alongside said pervert and Fuu. "What the hell did you do to piss these guys off so much!? Perv on their women!?"

Jiraiya 's expression immediately shifted, all fear fading from his face as a single eyebrow twitched before looking over his shoulder at the Uzumaki, his face twisting in anger at the blow to his pride.

"I would never do such a thing!" He denied. Massive pervert though he may be, he would never break the man's code of honor in such a manner.

He'd look but he wouldn't touch.

"Like we'd believe that! You know, you're doing a real bang up job of keeping our secret mission a secret, Pervy Sage!" Naruto shouted at the man, not loud enough for their pursuers to hear though.

"Less talking, more action! Run, RUN!"

* * *

**And so ends another chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.**

**I also hope no one thought Sasame went down too easily. I think she's about as strong, maybe slightly better, than canon Sakura… before the Chunin Exams… so… yeah. Actually, they shouldn't have much trouble with most of this arc. I mean, canon Naruto managed to take out one of the antagonists, Kamikiri, literally in about 30 seconds.**

**Don't worry though, I'm planning for the enemies in the next arc to give them a much harder time.**

**On a side note, I've gotten questions about the state of my other stories, so let me repeat that no, I'm not going to abandon anything. I'm just feeling more inspired to write this story right now, however, I'm beginning to feel like working on Naruto: Jinchuriki of the Six Paths again and also finally starting on the rewrite of my Bleach story. You'll probably start seeing updates for the former, and the remake of Shattered Fates, next month.**

**Anyway, please review.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Well, here we are again. I got some reviews commenting on how this story focuses on fights. I'd just like to say I don't think I do, I just haven't gotten that far into the story yet. Later on, the periods of time between fights will get longer and longer.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

"All right, I think we lost them." Jiraiya said with a sigh as he peered down through the dense foliage of the tree he and his students were hiding in. They'd been chased deep into the forest beyond that town of thieves and outlaws the Sannin had so foolishly ventured into. Eventually, they managed to put enough distance between themselves and their pursuers that they were out of their line of sight. To their good fortune, they'd found of fork in the road and, away from the eyes of the thugs on their tails, took to the trees and bolted away from the path.

If the trio's luck held, the thugs would believe that they'd simply taken the wrong path and return to their boss in failure.

"Yeah, no thanks to you Pervy Sage." Naruto commented, crossing his arms as he glared at the man from his place on a branch across from him, the unconscious kunoichi now bound by her wrists, ankles and shins beside him. Needless to say, she wasn't going anywhere.

"Somehow, 'I told you so' doesn't quite cut it." Fuu said, her brow furrowed as she stared at her sensei from a lower branch, resting her palm on the trunk of the tree as she leaned against it.

"All right, all right." Jiraiya commented, raising his hands in defeat. "I get it, my mistake. So, who is the girl anyway?"

Turning to their unconscious captive, Naruto answered, "Beats the heck out of me. She just attacked us out of nowhere. At first, we thought she was one of Orochimaru's goons, but now I'm not so sure. Either way, she attacked us, and she's probably from this country so she might know something."

Jiraiya leaned back and gave a smug grin. "Well, looks like our little sojourn to that den of debauchery wasn't a complete waste of time after all. We might just have found exactly what we needed. I knew everything would turn out all right in the end."

Fuu scoffed, her orange eyes looking to the side. "Yeah, I'm sure this _exactly_ what you had in mind, Ero-sensei."

Jiraiya froze, his eyes widening almost comically as his face turned into a mask of shock. "WHAT!?" He promptly vanished, reappearing at Naruto's side so quickly one would think he must have used a body flicker and bonking his student over the head, causing him to let out a yelp and grip his slightly sore noggin. "Damn it, brat! Look what you did!" He yelled, pointing at the mint haired kunoichi. "It's bad enough that you don't show me an ounce respect, now you've got her in on it too!"

"He's got nothing to do with it." Fuu stated with her eyes closed, drawing their attention before looking at her sensei. "Ero-sensei, over the past few days, I've seen you spy on every hot spring and public bathhouse you could find, get beaten up by a horde of women you peeped on, try to mooch off your own students and walk into an obvious den of thieves, fall for an obvious trap and get us chased halfway to the border. While I still look up to you and trust you as my sensei, you've lost a lot of my respect. And since that name suits you so well, that's what I'll call you from now on."

Upon hearing Fuu's reasoning, Jiraiya froze into stone.

No, really. He literally froze into stone. His body turned ash gray and hardened like granite while his mouth was hanging wide open in shock along with his eyes. Small cracks formed along his body as thunder rumbled in the distance.

Which was really strange because there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Naruto poked at his sensei's cheeks, rolling his eyes at the man. "Don't be such a drama queen, you old perv. You had to know this was going to happen eventually."

"Let's just leave him for now," Fuu said, stepping away from the tree trunk. "We can find some place to hide out while Ero-sensei recovers."

* * *

A groan escaped from the masked kunoichi as she slowly returned to the waking world. Her brown eyes fluttered open as her vision began to return to her, hazy at first before slowly clearing up. She was lying on her back, staring up at a wooden ceiling.

How strange… she could have sworn she was outside last she knew… Yes, slowly but surely it was all coming back to her. She remembered looking through the forests for any sign of Orochimaru's followers… then she saw two shinobi she didn't recognize and guessed that, if they were there, then they must be that snake's subordinates. So she'd attacked and then…

With a gasp, she sat up, and suddenly realized that her arms and legs were tightly bound with rope. Try as she might, she couldn't move her limbs. She'd been captured.

'_Damn it… did I screw up again?_' She asked herself in despair, hopelessness showing in her brown pools.

"Well, well, looks like our pal woke up." Her eyes widened as a man's voice reached her ears. She twisted her body to look in the direction of the voice and saw Jiraiya, Naruto and Fuu watching her, the blond sitting cross legged against a wall, Fuu leaning with her back pressed against the wall across from him and Jiraiya standing before the entrance, his head tilted to the side and his hand on his hip as he regarded the girl.

She sent a hostile glare at her captors and made no further sound. If they were servants of Orochimaru, she wasn't going to give them anything, no matter what they did to her.

"All right, who the hell are you and why'd you attack us out of nowhere? Are you a shinobi of Oto?" Naruto asked, frowning back at the girl, who remained silent. He hadn't really expected her to answer anyway.

"All right, all right, settle down. Let me handle this one." Jiraiya said stepping towards her.

Fuu turned her head to look at her fellow Jinchuriki and pointed at the Sannin. "You really think we can trust him to handle this?"

Naruto cupped his chin, his ocean blue orbs looking to the ceiling as he replied, "I know what you mean…"

"Hey!" Jiraiya whirled on his students, his expression twisted in slight anger. "What's with that skepticism? You two know I'm one of the top spymasters in the world! How can you think I'd have any trouble here?"

"It's not that." Naruto replied with a shrug. "It's just that she's a girl and she can't really fight back so…"

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and blinked as his mind tried to work out what his student meant as the orange haired girl's eyes widened in shock and fear, darting from the blond to the Sannin. Suddenly, the answer came to him and, with a furious twist of his features, he shot over and bonked his student upside the head "What the hell!? Of all the things you could have… you think that's all I ever think about!?"

"Yeah, because you've proven how much of a stand up, chivalrous guy you are when it comes to women, Ero-sensei." Fuu stated, giving him a blank stare.

Jiraiya looked back and forth between his students, his eyes pure white orbs as his mind struggled to comprehend this picture that had formed in their minds. "Ok, first of all, yeah, I'm a pervert and proud of it, but I would never force myself on a lady!"

"Didn't say you would, we know you're not that bad, but you might take advantage of the situation and cop a feel or something." Naruto said lightly as the green haired Jinchuriki nodded.

"I wouldn't do that unless they gave their consent!" Jiraiya shot back, desperate to defend his honor.

"In other words, unless they were one of those floozies you pick up at taverns." Fuu deadpanned, but Jiraiya ignored her.

"And second of all, I have standards you know! I don't peek on minors!"

Naruto opened his mouth, about to mention how the man had fallen for his sexy jutsu, but then clamped it shut almost audibly. He'd realized he shouldn't mention that technique in the presence of females.

"All right, fine. Not like we have much experience with getting people to talk anyway, unless…" The blond stated, his eyes turning towards Fuu, who shook her head negatively, showing she had no experience in interrogation either.

"Not like I'd let you anyway." Jiraiya replied, turning back to the girl. "One of Orochimaru's goons won't be easy to crack." The orange haired girl gasped at this. Jiraiya crossed his arms and closed his eyes and he continued his explanation. "That old snake's got a way of getting people's loyalty, much as I hate to say it. He's got mad charisma, couple that with the fear he inspires and-"

"Wait." The girl spoke up for the first time, causing all eyes to turn on her. She averted her gaze for a moment, uncertain of whether or not she was making the right choice but, given that she was currently at their mercy and none of her clan knew where she was, meaning that there was no hope of rescue, she realized she didn't have many options. Tentatively, she raised her brown eyes back to them and asked, "You're not… ninja of Oto?"

Jiraiya arched a snowy eyebrow at this question. "Isn't that obvious? Of course not."

"Then the only reason you'd be sneaking around in this country is… because you're looking for Orochimaru." She said, her hesitant words sounded like a cross between a statement and a question.

"Yeah…" Jiraiya said, tilting his head to the side as he scrutinized the girl. He didn't see any signs of deception.

"In that case I apologize." The girl said, tilting her torso forward and looking down at the wooden surface before her. "Most of the shinobi in this country follow Orochimaru. When I saw you, I thought you were his servants."

"So you're an enemy of Orochimaru?" Fuu questioned, eyeing the girl suspiciously. She nodded in response after a moment's consideration.

"I guess you could say that…" She answered. "Really, if I had a choice I'd have nothing to do with him. Orochimaru… took someone dear to me. I was hoping to save him, so I searched for his base. It was easy enough for me to find out where it is, and on my way I saw you and…"

Now Jiraiya frowned. Based on what his students had told him, this girl didn't have that much experience or skill as a shinobi, so how had she managed to find Orochimaru's base 'easily' as she put it.

Naruto picked up on it too, his brow furrowing as he asked, "You found Oto? Can't imagine that snake made it easy, how'd you pull that off?"

The orange haired girl winced. Well, might as well tell the whole story. Not much sense in keeping things to herself now, it could very well get her killed. "It's because… some of my clan joined him, and they're always looking for others of us to 'see the light'." She said, grounding out those last three words.

"A clan… didn't all the clans of this country fall to ruin after the last war you fought in?" Jiraiya asked, scratching his head as he ran through all the different clans of the Land of Rice Fields he knew of.

"That's right." The girl answered, her tone becoming a bit woeful as she remembered what she'd heard of those days and the hardships her clan faced. "After that hopeless war our daimyo demanded we fight, most of the clans of this country were decimated. Many chose to leave and start anew elsewhere, becoming missing nin or joining ninja villages, while others turned to common thievery. But some of us struggled on, praying for a day when our clans could be restored. That was until one day… an emissary from Oto appeared and offered the promise of the first full scale ninja village of this land." Her eyes gained a pained look. "My cousin Arashi was seen as the hope of our clan. He was chosen as our representative, and set out for Oto but…"

"No word from him or any of those that followed, right?" Jiraiya questioned. The look on her face, coupled with her silence was all the answer they needed.

"And you decided to try to save him by yourself?" Fuu questioned skeptically. She wasn't entirely sure she believed her.

Naruto shot her a look at that, surprised at her response. Then again, while he wasn't as naïve as he once was, he still believed that anyone he met was a potential friend until proven otherwise. On top of that, he felt for this girl. Her situation with her cousin sounded a lot like his and Sakura's with Sasuke.

He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could the girl cried out, "I have to save Arashi! I have to!"

Her vision once more blurred, this time due to the tears that welled up in her eyes as memories of all the times her cousin had been there for her, and how she'd never been able to do anything for him, came into her mind. She didn't want to show such emotion in front of her captors but… not just the sorrow from her loss, but her failure was at the forefront of her mind, and she just couldn't fight it off. If she'd been defeated by these two, who seemed to be about her age, how was she ever going to save Arashi?

Her brown orbs clenched tightly as she felt warm liquid flow down her face and soak into her mask. "I've never… been very strong. No matter how hard I tried, I was nothing but a burden during training, but no matter how many times I faltered, Arashi was always there to save me!" She choked out a sob as she poured her heart out, feeling a small pang of shame that she was doing so to total strangers, showing once again that she was as weak as she'd always been. "Everyone in my clan has already given up hope. I want… I want to save Arashi, just as he would do for me! Even… even if it is hopeless! Even if I'm weak, I had to try and now…"

Naruto stared at the girl sympathetically, before turning to his fellow Jinchuriki. "Fuu." He began, but was surprised by what he saw. Her eyes had hardened as she looked at the masked kunoichi. There wasn't any hint that she felt the least bit bad for her. In fact, she seemed, if anything, disgusted by her story.

She turned to the blond, her expression fading into a questioning look. "Yeah?"

"What do you think?" He asked, wondering what was going through the girl's head.

"I don't really see why we should help her," Fu said, crossing her arms over her chest as Naruto gaped at her. Sasame was also looking quite shocked. "Still, if she does know where Orochimaru's base is, she may at least prove useful to take along with us."

He stood up, walking over to the door and looking at her over his shoulder. "Hey, can you come outside with me for a sec?"

The mint haired girl gave him a confused look but nodded before following him as he opened the door and walked outside and down the path, neither noticing the Sannin peering at them through the . Once they were a fair distance away, Naruto turned to face the white clad girl.

"Fuu, what's the matter with you?" Naruto asked, taking a step towards her, pointing back to the shrine they'd hidden in. "How can you not want to lend her a hand after she poured her heart out to us? And in case you've forgotten, she's not the only one who's had someone she cares about fall into that snake's clutches!"

"I haven't forgotten." Fuu replied, her brow furrowing. "I know, you're planning to try to break into Oto to rescue Sasuke while we're here."

"Then what the hell was that back there!? Are you just going to leave her to get herself killed!? And what about me, are you going to turn around and leave me to save Sasuke on my own!?"

"How can you say that!?" Fuu shot back, her face twisting at the thought that he didn't trust her. "Of course I plan to help you! You think after everything we've been through I'd let you try and do something like that by yourself!?"

It wasn't that she wouldn't do the same thing Sasame was trying to do if she was in her shoes. As she'd told Naruto, if she had someone she cared for deeply, and they were taken away she'd do everything she could to save them, and if no one would help her she'd do it herself, but how was she supposed to trust this girl?

As they say, talk is cheap, actions speak louder. Naruto had already proven what kind of person he was when he saved Taki, so she was more willing to put her trust in him, combine that with how he'd tried to get her to open up, and she'd eventually caved and decided to let him in, and she had been glad she made that choice the moment she did.

When she found out he was also a Jinchuriki and knew he'd endured the same treatment as her, that he could understand and sympathize with her, their bond had strengthened and she knew he'd never betray her, and just the same she'd never turn on him. Even with how short of a time they'd known each other, she felt certain that she'd follow him to hell and back if he needed it.

She'd opened up to Jiraiya almost immediately, but there were several reasons for that. Naruto trusted him, and he obviously knew the blond was a Jinchuriki but still treated him like a normal human and shared a bond with him. In addition, regardless of why, the man had helped save her from Akatsuki.

But this masked kunoichi… all she really knew about her was that she'd attacked them from out of nowhere. Aside from that, all she'd given them were words. How could they know she wasn't lying just to lure them into a trap? Wouldn't be the first time someone had tricked her by acting sincere and compassionate.

Naruto calmed a little at that, but was still a little angry with her. "Then how's this any different?"

"Naruto, I like you and who you are, a lot, but you're way too quick to trust people." Fuu replied, placing a hand on her hip and jerking her head back at the shrine. "All we have to go on is this girl's word that her story is true, and in case you haven't forgotten, she tried to kill us just a few hours ago!"

"I thought you were going to try trusting people more. Didn't you agree that you won't get anywhere if you go around thinking everyone's going to turn on you?"

Truthfully, Naruto didn't entirely trust Sasame either, but he at least was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Besides, if she did try anything, he was sure they could handle it.

"I did." She closed her eyes and nodded. "I was going to and will trust my comrades, but that girl isn't our comrade. She's not from my old village or my new one. She's a stranger from a hostile country who, again, _attacked_ us. And either way, if she is telling the truth, she can still turn on us. She's doing this for her family. For someone she cares for. Who's to say she won't turn on us if they dangle Arashi's life in front of her?" She questioned heatedly. "If it came down to that, who would she choose; us or him?"

Naruto's eyes widened at that, recalling something his sensei had once done to prove a point.

"_Sakura, kill Naruto now or Sasuke dies."_

He wondered briefly what Sakura would do if actually put in that situation before shaking his head, deciding that didn't matter. "Well if I was in a bind and you were in that situation, would you turn on her?"

Fuu seemed surprised by the question and after a pause, she answered, "I'd do everything I could to make sure it didn't come to that."

"Then why not trust her to do the same?"

"Sorry, did you hit your head while I wasn't looking? Because I don't know her and she's not a comrade." Fuu repeated. "Even if you've got something in common." That irritated look returned. "Besides, what help could she give us besides showing us the way? You heard her story and saw how she fought before, she's pathetic."

That was another reason she didn't like the orange haired girl and didn't want to work with her. From her story she'd been coddled all her life. This was probably the first time she'd ever needed to stand on her own two feet. One thing she couldn't stand was weak willed, over-reliant people. Civilians depending on shinobi she could understand, as they were usually as self reliant as they could be without the abilities of a ninja. Some would even stand up to shinobi, despite the fact that most would stand no chance if they came to blows, or just against incredible odds for what they believed in despite being physically weak compared to those versed in chakra, and she usually had a lot of respect for those people, but for a shinobi, who fought for their own lives, to protect the lives of the people they cared about and for the well being of their village, there was no excuse.

Her sensei, while he hadn't driven her away, was cold to her and obviously felt nothing but distaste towards her and she learned very quickly that, while it wasn't wrong to rely on others when you need it or when you can trust them, she'd need to be independent to get anywhere. Shibuki had occasionally stopped by to teach her water jutsu and give her pointers, and her sensei had given her the bare minimum of basic training he was required to give but aside from that, she'd become as strong as she was now entirely on her own. Her mastery of their village's trademark Water Slicing Blade and fairly unique skill in dual wielding them, her insect techniques and skill with the Scale Powder, taijutsu skill, her skill in sealing, while limited to creating basic storage seals which she used to take all her important possessions with her when she left Taki and what little control she had over the Nanabi's abilities, allowing her to use its wind powers in her Tailed Forms(though she couldn't enter said forms voluntarily yet) were all gained entirely through her own hard work.

People like the masked kunoichi, who depended entirely on others to fight for them and be their knights in shining armor, disgusted her. Not just for personal reasons, but because they held their teams back and became burdens, needlessly putting themselves and the people they relied on and cared about at risk. And if the person they relied on was wicked, they did everything they told them no matter their personal views or morals and often they'd be quick to shirk responsibility for what they'd done and try to place the blame on whoever they followed when brought down instead of owning up to their mistakes, if they cared at all.

Naruto seemed affronted to hear that, glaring at his fellow Jinchuriki. "How can you say that?"

Fuu met his glare and held her ground. "Easy, because it's true. This is probably the first time she's ever done anything for herself. I wouldn't be surprised if she backed down at the minute she realizes she's in over her head, or worse, hands us over to the enemy to save herself and Arashi." She scoffed in disgust. "I can't stand overly dependent people like that."

Idly thinking that the mint haired kunoichi probably wouldn't have liked Sakura as she was before Sasuke's defection, Naruto pressed, "You can't know that! You never know what you're capable of until you find yourself pressed against the wall! And it's never too late to change!"

She turned her head away, closing her eyes. "Thinking someone like that can change is just wishful thinking. You can say you're going to do something all you want, but it doesn't always mean you can. It sounds to me like she can't do anything by herself."

"And that's why you rely on other people, because you can't shoulder it by yourself! So why not work together? If she does turn on us, we can deal with it then. Why not give her the benefit of the doubt?" Naruto pressed.

"That's reckless, Naruto."

"Fuu, she _cried _in front of us! How can you-"

"Because I've seen fake tears before!" Fuu interrupted with a shout, causing him to stop mid-sentence. Her orange orbs fell to the ground, her face taking on a pained expression. After a few moments, she said a single word. "Eight."

"What?"

Raising her head to look at him, she continued, "That's how many times some of my so-called comrades pretended to get close to me, three of those times they cried in front of me, making me think they really felt bad for me, that they cared about me, before they stabbed me in the back and laughed about how I could have ever thought _anyone_ would care about me." Naruto was visibly shocked to head that, his eyes wide and his mouth dropped. She looked away and to the clouds, her expression wistful. "But… there were four times that they really meant everything they said, that they actually did care. That's part of why I was still willing to take a chance when you came into my life." She said, briefly reminiscing about those people, all of whom, aside from Shibuki, who had betrayed her, being dead at this point. Turning her eyes back to Naruto, she finished, "Naruto, I've gotten where I am now almost entirely on my own, most of the people I should have been able to trust, my teammates, my sensei, wouldn't give me the time of day if they didn't have to. So forgive me if I'm not so quick to take the word of someone I know almost nothing about and who's always relied on others because she couldn't cut it."

"Fuu…" Naruto began, taking a step towards her with a concerned expression before Jiraiya suddenly appeared at his side. Both Jinchuriki turned to their sensei, clearly surprised. "Pervy Sage?"

"Yo." The sage said, raising his hand. "Sorry, couldn't help but listen in on your little discussion." He looked to the blond Uzumaki before saying, "You know, she raises a valid point, but…" he then turned to the mint haired kunoichi, "Let's give her the benefit of the doubt. After all, you've got me here." He pointed his thumb at himself with a confident grin while closing his eyes. "Unless Orochimaru himself shows up, I can easily take down anything they throw at me, and if the old snake himself shows up, I'll handle him." He then shrugged. "Besides, you've already proved you can easily subdue her. What harm could she do?"

Fuu seemed to think about it for a moment before nodding. "Great, then let's head back and give our guest the good news." He said before turning around.

The Kyuubi Jinchuriki followed before he heard Fuu call out to him. "Naruto."

He tuned his head to look at her. "Yeah, Fuu?"

The Nanabi Jinchuriki looked away, her expression troubled, before finally she said, "Sorry."

Naruto blinked before turning to face her, giving her a small smile as he replied, "It's alright, and I'm sorry too. I get where you're coming from, but like I said you can't always think everyone's going to betray you. You'll never get anywhere if you don't learn to give people the benefit of the doubt."

"You're right." She conceded. "Oh, and Naruto…?"

"Uh huh."

"I can understand why what I said made you think I didn't want to try to break into Oto, meaning I wouldn't help you rescue you're friend; Sasuke, but…" Suddenly, the air around them seemed to drop to subzero temperatures as Fuu's gaze became glacial, her eyes seeming to turn into frozen, slanted chips of ice. Even though the sun hovered in the sky above them, all the warmth and light it gave off vanished, leaving nothing but a darkness that swept over the entire area and a cold that chilled him to his very soul, instilling into him a sense of true terror unlike anything he'd felt since he was caught in-between the combined killing intent of his sensei, Kakashi and Zabuza for the first time. "If you ever suggest that I'd abandon you like that again-" She pointed her thumb at the cylinder on her back, "I'll shove this thing so far up your ass you'll cough it back up, got it?"

Naruto, shrinking back from the girl and trembling slightly, did his best to keep his fear in the face of her suppressed feminine fury hidden, though his face twitched slightly, his reflexes fighting him and attempting to twist his expression to show exactly how scared he was at the moment. But, he barely held managed to give her a friendly, if shaky smile while giving her a thumbs up and saying, "Right, it won't happen again."

And just like that, the darkness receded; warmth flooded the land and Fuu's mouth widened into a bright smile. "Great! Now that we've got that cleared up, I'm sure Ero-sensei's waiting for us. Let's go, we're wasting daylight!"

And with that, the green haired Jinchuriki walked past him and back to the shrine, the blond stared in mild surprise about how, for a brief moment, she had returned to her cheerful self after that. Naruto sighed as the tension left his body before looking after her, muttering 'girls' before catching up to her.

Once back at the shrine, they gave the orange haired girl the good news and untied her. She stood, rubbing where she'd been bound in an attempt to ward off the lingering soreness, before lifting her mask up, revealing it doubled as a hat. Her long hair cascaded down to her back, just barely reaching her legs with two long, chest length bangs framing her face, with one additional small tuff that obscured the center of her forehead and nearly reached her eyes.

"My name's Sasame Fuma. Thank you for agreeing to help me find my cousin."

"No problem." Naruto said, punching his open palm. "You're not the only one who's had that snake take someone important to them. Now we've got two people to save."

* * *

Once everything was settled, Sasame told them what she knew of Oto. While she knew little about the village itself, besides the fact that it was ruled over by Orochimaru, she did know a vague location of the base: hidden beneath the earth deep in a forest where a thick mist often hung in the air. But that would be more than enough. Between Jiraiya's skills, Naruto's shadow clones and stealth capabilities and Fuu's insects, locating Oto with what intel she provided would be cake walk.

Now all they needed to worry about were the traps no doubt prevalent throughout it, its defenders and of course, the possibility of encountering the snake summoner of the Sannin himself.

By the time everything was said and done, the skies had turned a deep orange from the setting sun, and so they decided to set out in the morning. Being caught on the rogue Sannin's home turf in the dark of the night, while it would aid their efforts to remain hidden, was deemed too great a risk. So the three Konoha ninja and the Fuma Clan kunoichi turned in for the night.

The blond lay sprawled out on his futon, submerged in deep, dreamless slumber as the pale moonlight shined through the window. Soon, he began to stir, mumbling slightly and tossing and turning as he fought to remain asleep.

Soon enough, the problem keeping him awake became clear when a faint rumble could be heard, his stomach crying out for a midnight snack.

He continued to try to ignore his stomach for a few more minutes before finally cracking one sleepy, blue orb open. He sat up, rubbing his tired eyes before stretching and letting out a yawn.

He quickly raided their food supplies, taking a trio of onigiri to sate his stomach. Deciding he'd like to eat outside, he walked to entrance of the shrine, but was surprised to see someone standing outside through the cracks in the window. Seeing orange hair, he realized it was Sasame and shrugged.

The Fuma clan kunoichi turned when she heard the door open behind her and saw that it was the blond Konoha genin.

"Naruto?" She asked, a little surprised to see him.

"Hey." He said, raising a hand in greeting before holding up the package of rice balls. "I felt like a midnight snack. Want one?"

Sasame took one, and the two teens ate together in silence, enjoying the moonlight as the sounds of crickets chirping and occasionally the hooting of owls filled the air.

"You know, I was surprised." Sasame spoke up, causing Naruto to turn his head and give her a curious look. "Your friend, Fuu, she's a lot different from you and your sensei, isn't she?" She looked out to the forest as she continued, "I could tell from the way you act you two are good friends, but she seems kind of… harsh, don't you think?"

Naruto waved his hand at that, smiling as he replied, "Oh, don't worry about that. She's great once you get to know her. It's just…" His expression fell, shifting into a somber look that caused her to blink and raise a single orange brow. "Well… you see… when she was young… something terrible happened. It wasn't her fault, but everyone needed someone to blame and so… well, just about everyone was against her."

Sasame looked taken aback to hear that. "What? Everyone? You mean she… didn't she have anyone she could depend on?"

Naruto closed his eyes and shook his head. "Not really… and a lot of the people she thought she could turned on her, so it's not easy for her to believe in people. I only met her recently, and it took a lot to win her over." He looked at her once again. "But once she knows she can trust someone, her real self comes out. I can say without a doubt she's one of my best friends. Just wait, I'm sure she'll warm up to you sooner or later."

Sasame's expression became troubled. She's always been able to count on Arashi, and even without him most of her clan had been there for her. She couldn't imagine being alone like Fuu had. The green haired girl had said some rather discouraging things to her, barely trying to hide the opinion she'd given Naruto, and thinking about it, she could kind of understand why.

At first, as she silently contemplated what the blond told her, she thought it might have just been jealousy, but thinking about what the white clad kunoichi said, she realized it was contempt; contempt for relying entirely on someone else and being unable to stand up for herself. After all, if she could be strong and independent when she had little if any support, why couldn't someone with people willing to help them every step of the way?

She wasn't really trying to be cruel. To be honest, a lot of what she'd said had been things that Sasame had thought about herself and tried to ignore. That by relying on others to protect her, rather than being able to protect herself, she not only put them in danger, if push came to shove and they relied on her, as Arashi did now, she wouldn't be able to help because she'd relied on her protector all her life. While teamwork and reliance were important to shinobi, so too was individual ability and those who relied entirely on others to protect and stand up for them became burdens.

Like she knew she'd been until now.

That, combined with her mistrust; which was justified if what he said was true, was why the girl was so cold towards her.

But these self-depreciating thoughts would get her nowhere. She vowed to herself to change. This time… it'd be her who would save Arashi, and she would never allow herself to be helpless again. After this was over, she'd protect him as much as he protected her. She blushed briefly as she recalled the smile he gave her as he left before her face hardened as she steeled her resolve.

Something occurred to her as she thought of her cousin's predicament. Orochimaru was from Konoha. Naruto might know something about him.

Turning and giving him a serious look, Sasame began, "Naruto."

"Hm?"

"What do you know… about Orochimaru?"

Naruto twitched almost imperceptibly at the question, giving her a surprised look. Seeing her solemn expression, he averted his blue eyes away and to the ground.

He'd wondered about Orochimaru, since he was one of his chief enemies, and had asked the perverted sensei, being his former teammate, to tell him what he knew. It had taken some prodding, but the old man eventually told him what he knew. It wasn't a pretty tale, but then again, he knew what the man was planning to do to Sasuke, so what he'd heard, while it had appalled him, hadn't surprised him in the least, beyond the fact that he'd gotten away with it.

Learning of Orochimaru's history had intensified his distaste for the man, and made him believe more than ever that he needed to go down.

But… at the very least, he knew Sasuke was for the most part safe, for now, since Orochimaru couldn't take over his body for the next few years. He doubted that the traitorous Sannin would do anything truly horrible to Sasuke's body, since he wanted to take it for himself. Arashi wasn't so lucky. While he hoped to save the guy, he sounded like a good man, willing to put himself in danger for his clan, the knowledge he had painted a pretty grim picture about his potential fate.

He didn't think it'd be a good idea to tell Sasame when she was already as worried as she was. "Look, Sasame, I don't think you really want me to answer that."

He turned back to her and saw that his answer had just worried her more. "Why? Is it really that bad?" Naruto refused to answer, having nothing to say that would make her feel any better. "Just tell me. Please, I need to know." She practically begged.

"Why?" Naruto asked.

"Because…" She began, looking uncertain. "I need to know which side of my clan was right and… because I can't stand not knowing anything. I've been worrying over this for months now, anything's better than this."

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Trust me, it's not, but I guess you're not going to back down until I tell you, huh?" He asked, seeing her shake her head, he gave a short laugh. "I wouldn't either. All right, but I have to warn you, it's not anything you really want to hear." She nodded, and seeing she was waiting for him to continue, he sighed once again.

"Well, you should probably know Orochimaru was originally one of the Sannin, along with my sensei, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, so I'm not going to bother with that part. Around the time the Fourth Hokage was chosen, people started disappearing. Adults and shinobi, old people, children and even infants. After the Fourth was chosen, the culprit got sloppy and they managed to track him down. You can probably guess where this is going."

Sasame's expression had grown fearful at the mention of kidnappings, wondering what those people had been for, and none of her assumptions were good. "What… what did he do to them?"

"… He was… experimenting on them." He heard her gasp, but continued. "Only a handful of people survived. He's obsessed with power, he'll do anything to get stronger and to create more forbidden techniques. He was caught red handed, but managed to escape. He later joined an organization called Akatsuki, but he betrayed them too. Around that time, he formed Otogakure and made a deal with Suna to attack us. Really though, at some point, he killed the Kazekage, impersonated him and took control of Suna, using them to strengthen his forces and then discarding them once they were no longer useful to him. He also managed to find a way to become immortal… by using a kinjutsu that lets him take over other people's bodies and use them as his own." Turning to her, he saw the absolutely horrified look on her face. "That's what he wants my friend Sasuke for. When he sent his elite forces to bring him to Oto… one of them was this guy on death's door. He would have given anything for Orochimaru, and he repaid him by using him, and then tricking him into going on what he knew was a suicide mission in his condition." He said, unaware it was actually Kabuto who had manipulated Kimimaro.

"Tha… that…" She choked out, her voice shaking, her hands raised above her chest as if to shield herself and ward off the chill that radiated from her core. "He's… he's a monster."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah… needless to say, he's not known for keeping his promises." The Jinchuriki clenched his fist, his hand trembling with rage as his eyes hardened. "That bastard tricks people into believing in him, makes them think he cares about them and will help them fulfill their dreams or save their people, but it's all just a trick. He twists them into becoming his puppets and then leeches off of them before throwing them away. He doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself."

"Then… we really were right. He told us he would restore our clan but… someone like that would never keep his promise… he's just using us and…" her breath hitched. The man was a mad scientist. Could that mean… Arashi was…

Her eyes clenched shut. She couldn't bear to think about it. This… this must be why Naruto hadn't wanted her to know.

Feeling a warm, comforting hand on her shoulder, she turned to see Naruto giving her a reassuring look. "Don't worry, we'll find Arashi, just you wait and see."

"Thank you, Naruto. And… thanks for telling me. You might have been right. I may have been better off not knowing… but… at least now I know he can't be trusted. I have to free my clan from his clutches."

* * *

Just two hours after the sun rose, the group of four stepped outside of the abandoned shrine after preparing themselves and eating a large breakfast. Naruto, standing at the top of the stairs stared at into the golden rays of the new day before his eyes turned to the forest, looking into the direction where they knew Otogakure laid as he wondered what the day had in store for them.

He punched his open palm, his face a mask of determination. He'd never thought the opportunity to save his wayward friend might come so soon. Orochimaru, Kabuto, it didn't matter who got in his way. If they were in that base, they weren't leaving without Sasuke and Arashi.

"All right you guys." Jiraiya said, standing in front of the group and half turning to face them. "I shouldn't have to say this, but be on your guard. We can't just go waltzing into his backyard. If this really is Oto, this is going to be the most difficult job you've ever had. But rest assured, no matter what lies ahead of us, we're not going to let that snake have his way again. Our job is to find all the information about Oto we can and rescue Sasuke and Arashi. Get ready to put everything you've got into this. Now, let's move out."

So off they went, leaping into the trees and leaping from branch to branch as they made their way to Oto. It took about half an hour before the forest Sasame had talked about was in sight. Along the way, Fuu's eyes darted to a tree, where she spied a small spider with a long string of its web floating in the wind. After gazing at it for a moment, she continued as if she'd seen nothing at all.

The four stood on a rocky outcropping, staring into the woods. It was one of the rare days that the mist was clear. Similar to the Forest of Death in Konoha, the trees that made up the woods were enormous, unlike the one they'd just emerged from.

"We're close." Sasame said, looking into the forest that, according to her information, Otogakure lied in. "This is as far as I can take us."

"Don't worry. Like I said, this is more than enough." Jiraiya commented, crossing his arms as he stared into the forest. "With what you've told us, finding Oto should be a cinch."

Suddenly, a wave of kunai burst from the darkness of the forest, flying towards the group.

"Quick, move!" Jiraiya shouted as the group leapt into the air. The moment they did, what appeared to be spider threads burst from the tree line, ensnaring the three Konoha ninja.

"What the-!?" "What's-!?" "Damn it!" Naruto, Fuu and Jiraiya cried respectively before they were reeled in, more kunai following and skewering them as they were pulled into the forest, causing Sasame to scream in shock.

She was joined on her spot on the ridge by a man who smirked in satisfaction as he watched the three figured fall to the forest floor far below them. He had thick eyebrows and his hair matched his obsidian eyes. He wore blue jeans and a brown, short sleeved high color with a red line that ran down from the side of his collar to the bottom and black gloves. Strapped to his right arm by a white cord was a large pincer like weapon.

"Heh, those three weren't that tough." He commented.

A moment later, another man joined them, hanging upside down from a single spider thread by his abnormally long arms and legs. He was bald and, like his comrade, he had thick eyebrows and a scar on his right eye. He wore a green, sleeveless shirt and dark blue pants with bandages around his left arm and shins. He also had a container with a net strapped to his back which contained his spiders.

"You can say that again. Either way, whoever they were they obviously came here in search of Lord Orochimaru. I'm sure he'll reward us for bringing them down." He said, causing Sasame to look to him. He turned his head to the orange haired girl. "Well, what a surprise. This is the last place one would have expected for a reunion, eh Sasame?"

"Jigumo, Kamikiri." Sasame breathed as her gaze swept from the spider user to the brown clad one, two of the five members of their clan who had joined Oto.

"What were you thinking?" Kamikiri asked harshly, crossing his arms and tilting his head. "Leading them to Lord Orochimaru. He's the only one who can restore the power of the Fuma clan and raise us to greater heights than we've ever known. How can you betray us like this?"

Sasame seemed intimidated for a moment before she shook it off, glaring up at her cousin. "I came here to find Arashi, and they were helping me. Please, take me to him, we need to get out of here."

"What are you talking about?" Jigumo asked as he flipped off of his thread and landed, standing hunched over. "You know we can't do that. Lord Orochimaru's our last hope, or have you been swayed by that traitor Hanzaki's words?"

"He's not a traitor!" Sasame denied, clenching her hands. "He was right this whole time! Orochimaru's just using us! Please, abandon him while you still can!"

"Well, if that's how you feel, then don't bother returning to the village!" Kamikiri shot back. "Go find those traitors, while Lord Orochimaru gives us-!"

"What!?" Sasame cut him off. "What's he given you!? Has he done anything besides feed you pretty words to prove that he's actually going to fulfill his promise!? You've served him since he made his village, has he actually even started following up on any of his promises!?" Seeing Kamikiri scoff, she continued, "That's because he never will! He's just going to keep using you until you've got nothing left to give him and then he'll throw you away!"

"You need to be patient." Kamikiri replied, crossing his arms as he looked down at her. "It's true, he hasn't yet done much for us, but we've only been serving him a few months. Once we prove our worth to him, he'll have no choice but to reward us as we deserve. Now go home, while you still can!"

"Not until you see the truth, and where's Arashi!?"

"…" The two share a look before turning back to their orange haired cousin. "Arashi's receiving special training from Lord Orochimaru right now, and can't be disturbed."

Sasame's eyes widened at that, remembering what Naruto had told her about what Orochimaru had done in the past. Worry blossomed in her heart as her expression became one of concern. "What kind of special training?"

"The first step towards restoring our clan's power." Kamikiri answered. "Now-"

The older pair of Fuma ninja's eyes widened as both sensed danger behind them. They leapt away just as Naruto and Fuu attacked them from behind. Twisting their bodies around in mid air and looking down at the grinning teens, their faces twisted in frustration.

"What!?" Kamikiri said in shock.

"But how?" Jigumo questioned, his good eye looking to where the shinobi had fallen earlier, only to see a trio of logs riddled with kunai. "Substitution?"

Kamikiri turned his head to look at Jigumo, ready to give him orders, only for a smirking Jiraiya to suddenly appear right in front of him. He didn't even have time to raise his arms to block as the Sannin spun around and slammed his foot into his ribs. He let out a hack as the air was forced from his lungs and the blow sent him flying into Jigumo. Both soared through the air, passing through the tree line and crashing into the ground with enough force to dig a small trench into the earth.

Kamikiri coughed as he got up on his hands and knees, Jigumo laying on his side as he glared in the direction of the Konoha ninja.

"Damn, they're better than we gave them credit for… huh?" He and his partner froze as the sound of clicking reached their ears. Both turned their heads and saw the forest alive with a writhing reddish-black mass, hundreds upon hundreds of beetles covered the ground, not a blade of grass could be seen through them. "What?"

"But how?"

"Simple." Naruto commented as he, Fuu, Jiraiya and Sasame looked down on them from a tree. "We knew you guys were coming."

"It was easy for me to notice those spiders of yours, though it's a bit disappointed we were found out so fast." Fuu stated, her eyes on Jigumo.

"So, looks like you two are done for. Why don't you just give up and…" Jiraiya began, before he was interrupted.

"Born but to be born. Breathing but to live. One sunrise and one sunset." A deep, gravelly voice echoed throughout the forest, causing the group to frown, their eyes searching for the source of the voice. Sasame's brown orbs widened, however, as she recognized the voice. "Kagero's life, like a mayfly, lasts only one day. But pitying one so ephemeral is in itself pitiable. Know that I am at my greatest in the dark of the earth. Ninja Art: Antlion Jutsu!"

Suddenly, the earth gave way to a massive pit opened up, sucking everything in. The Fuma clan ninja bolted off in opposite directions, leaping through the trees to avoid the insects, which took to the air in pursuit. Kamikiri threw a kunai with an explosive tag, detonating within the swarm and killing many of the insects, while Jigumo sent out a massive amount of spiders from the container on his back, which fell over the mass of insects despite their attempts to dodge, his pets making a banquet of Fuu's insects.

As the Konoha ninja jumped away to escape the growing pit, which quickly consumed the tree they had been in a moment earlier, Fuu's face twisted as she saw her insects being taken out. She could use her chakra to accelerate their life cycle, so it's not like she could ever run out, but she still didn't like seeing them get taken out that easily.

"Watch out!" Sasame cried as she looked into the center of the pit beneath them. "This is one of Kagero's jutsu. She's one of the most powerful jonin of our clan!"

Fuu quickly made hand signs before they could fall back to the earth and wind up in the Fuma kunoichi's sink hole. '_Water Style: Wild Water Wave!_'

The mint haired kunoichi spit out a powerful deluge of water which flowed into the pit, following the slanted earth and pouring into the core. Sensing she would be drowned if she continued, the earth user burst from her jutsu… and the trio was briefly shocked into a stupor by her appearance.

And not in a good way.

Rather than a girl, what appeared to be a rather grotesque looking man with short brown hair and large buck teeth escaped from the now water logged sinkhole. She(?) had wide arms and wore a simple, gray cloak with a red collar, a brown, short sleeved shirt and with matching pants.

Shaking off his bewilderment, Naruto made a cross shaped hand sign, creating three shadow clones, two of which summoned and threw kunai at the earth user. Kagero deflected the attacks, but found that they were merely a distraction as the last clone grabbed Naruto by his left arm, whipped him around and threw him at her. He clawed out his hand, a spiraling orb of chakra forming in his palm.

"Rasengan!" Naruto called out as he slammed his hand into the hunchbacked shinobi's stomach, causing her to cry out as the orb drilled into her before it exploded, releasing out a small wave of blue light and wisps of chakra and sending her flying, crashing into the earth with enough force to create a small crater, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris.

The group landed, Naruto grinning as he pumped his fist and having taken out the most powerful enemy from the start before turning to Sasame, his face scrunching up like a fox's.

"Uh, Sasame?" He began, causing the girl to blink at him. He pointed to the downed Fuma ninja. "No offence, but do you need to get your eyes checked?" He said with an incredulous tone, wondering how that guy he just blew away could be a girl.

Sasame blinked again as the other two Konoha shinobi looked at her oddly too. She looked between them before realization dawned on her and she gave a sheepish smile. "Oh, yeah. That's not her real self. She uses a jutsu to create a fake body around her like a cocoon while she stores up chakra for her strongest techniques."

"Oh, I see." Naruto nodded, turning to look at the injured kunoichi, who raised herself on her elbows, glaring up at them with one eye clenched in pain, his expression hardening. "So she's not really down for the count yet then. Fine, we'll just take her down again if she picks herself back up, and those other guys with her."

The other Fuma shinobi landed on either side of Kagero in a crouch. "Kagero, are you ok?" Jigumo questioned, getting a nod in response before he turned his gaze to the orange haired kunoichi. "Sasame, how could you give them our secrets!? Have you really betrayed us!?"

"… I know that you want to believe in Orochimaru and what he promised us, but I'm telling you I know the truth. He's just using us, like he does everyone." She gave the trio a determined look. "And if you won't listen, then I'm just going to have to make you before I save Arashi."

"Tch." Kamikiri scoffed at that, standing straight and brandishing his scissor like blade. "If you're this determined, then for the good of the clan you can fall with them." With that, he bolted forward.

Naruto summoned a kunai in a reverse grip and launched himself at the brown clad shinobi, their blades crashing against each others. The two combatants locked blades against each other, the kunai grinding across the flat, outer surface of the scissor blade and sending sparks through the air as both tried to push the other back.

"You guys are some real pieces of work." Naruto growled as he locked eyes with his opponent. "You'd kill your own cousin because she doesn't agree with you?"

"It's a small price to pay for the glory of the Fuma Clan!" Kamikiri roared as he jumped back and raised his blade high, bringing it down on top of the blond.

Naruto jumped back, letting the weapon crash into and shatter the ground before launching himself at his adversary again, engaging in a fast paced exchange of blows. Naruto leapt over a strike from him and flipped in the air, bringing his foot down in an axe kick, which Kamikiri leapt back to dodge.

The impact of Naruto's foot sent cracks through the ground. As Kamikiri moved to continue his attack, Naruto threw his kunai, which the Fuma ducked under, before summoning another and launching himself forward again.

Fuu leapt into the air and made a single hand sign, her cheeks puffing out as she turned her chakra to water. '_Water Style: Liquid Bullets!_'

The green haired kunoichi spat out a trio of fist sized balls of water at the Jigumo, which the spider user dodged by using his unnaturally long, powerful legs to bound across the trees, each orb of water his the ground with all the force of a canon ball, sending up a cloud of dirt with each strike.

Jigumo landed on a tree, sticking to it with all four of his limbs, and prepared to counter, his spiders gathering in the net at the end of their container, when suddenly, four shuriken burst from the dust cloud at his left. Jigumo drew a kunai and twisted his body to the side, avoiding two and deflecting the remaining pair.

As he quickly scanned the cloud for his attacker, sending out some of his spiders as he expected them to emerge from it, Sasame, a kunai in her right hand, appeared behind him. With the way he'd positioned himself, he was left unable to defend himself as Sasame brought her foot down on him, knocking him out of the tree and to sending him falling ground, landing on his spider container with a grunt.

Sasame stuck to the tree with chakra and launched herself at her older clan mate, who flipped to his feet to avoid her attack and easily blocked her following slash with his own kunai.

"How can you betray our clan like this?" Jigumo snarled.

"I've told you, I'm not betraying our clan. I've seen Orochimaru for what he really is, and if you won't listen, then I'll have to make you."

She could just stand by and watch, but she wasn't going to do that. She remembered what Fuu had said about her, the same things she was afraid of admitting about herself, and was determined to prove her wrong, because that and fighting for her clan was the only way she could prove it to herself.

"Heh, you're a far cry from the little wall flower of yesteryear." Jigumo commented before his senses warned him of danger. He ducked just in time to avoid a sweeping slash of Fuu's water sword, but he was unprepared when the mint haired kunoichi continued her motion, using the momentum to unleash a powerful kick that struck the spider user right in the solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him an sending him into a tree, the bark splintering on impact.

"That's…" Jigumo commented, remembering the technique from the having fought in the war. "Hidden Waterfall Style: Water Slicing Blade! So, you're from Taki are you?"

"What of it?" Fuu replied, not allowing her lingering ill feelings about her exile to weigh on her in the middle of a battle. "Where I'm from shouldn't bother you, you've got bigger things to worry about." With that, she charged forward.

Jiraiya watched the teens face off with the misguided Fuma clan shinobi, a smirk on his face. He was ready to step in the moment they needed it, but beyond that he would just sit back and let them handle it. After all, one of the things his students truly needed was experience, that was part of the reason he'd requested that Tsunade send them missions in the first place.

Kamikiri stabbed at Naruto, who snaked around the blow and swept his arm, slashing at the scissor wielding shinobi. Kamikiri leaned back but got a small cut on his cheek before leaping back, slamming his weapon into the ground the moment his feet touched the ground to create a smokescreen.

Under the cover of the smoke, Kamikiri opened his scissor blade, using it like a sword to cut down a nearby tree. Naruto leapt back as the tree collapsed on top of him, his eyes widening when Kamikiri burst from the falling foliage, his weapon pulled back and ready to strike.

Naruto leaned back, bringing his foot up and setting it on a collision course with the flat end of Kamikiri's blade, knocking it out of the way, before landing on his hands and flipping away.

The blond channeled wind chakra into his blade, giving it a blue glow, before throwing the weapon. Kamikiri raising his weapon to defend, just as the genin wanted. Naruto smirked as he watched what followed.

Kamikiri bat the weapon aside but, much to his shock the enhanced kunai not only damaged his weapon, the wind surrounding it cut through its cord, causing it to sail off of his arm and through the air.

His eyes widening in disbelief as he watched his weapon fly away from him, he turned his head and saw Naruto had launched himself at him, already too close for him to block or dodge.

The Kyuubi Jinchuriki buried his right elbow into the man's gut, causing him to bend over and let out a hacking cry of pain.

But Naruto wasn't done, pulling back his arm and following up with his left fist, hammering the same spot he'd struck a moment before. He leapt up and slammed his knee into Kamikiri's chest before twisting his body as he fell through the air, planting his hand on the ground, and kicking the man, sending him up above the trees.

Spinning in the air and landing on his feet, Naruto shot up after the man, grabbing him by his shoulder and flipping over, the pair spinning in a circle as Naruto built up momentum and chakra, before he tossed him to the ground. The Fuma ninja slammed into the earth with enough force to create a small crater, just large enough for him to fit in. His eyes closed, he let out a pained groan and didn't move as Naruto landed on a nearby tree.

As the Uzumaki finished up his fight, Jigumo was finding himself on the defensive as Sasame and Fuu's combined assault pushed him back. While the pair's teamwork wasn't great, they worked together well enough not to trip each other up.

Finally, Sasame jumped back as Fuu engaged Jigumo with her water sword, throwing kunai at the man, who dodged to the side.

Fuu grinned as she saw an opening and dropped her water sword, the liquid blade breaking apart into droplets and dispersing back into the air as it fell, before making three hand signs.

"Say goodnight! Water Style: Water Whip!" Fuu threw out her arm, a whip of water forming in her palm and shooting out towards the Fuma shinobi.

Jigumo's good eye widened as the whip wrapped around his arms and torso, leaving him helpless. Fuu spun on her heel, yanking Jigumo through the air and sending him crashing face first into a tree, before spinning around again and pulling the whip over her shoulder, dragging him through the air and high above the treetops before sending him on a collision course with the ground right beside Kamikiri, the impact leaving him in a similar state to his scissor wielding cousin.

Sasame breathed a sigh of relief that the battle was over, fighting her clansmen was not something she'd enjoyed, but she needed to make them see reason, and they were so consumed by the desire to see their clan prosper by any means that just trying to talk to them was useless.

Fuu smirked as she looked at their handiwork. The trio had been taken down with little difficulty. She then looked to Sasame, a little surprised the girl had fought alongside them. She'd expected her to back down and let them handle her family members, at best giving some information on their abilities. She showed a lot more determination than she'd expected, and she thought that she may have been wrong about her. At the very least, she'd proven they could trust her, for now.

When the orange haired girl looked to her, Fuu gave her a nod of acknowledgement. This battle had been fairly easy, so she'd yet to see just how strong her resolve was and was not yet willing to fully trust her, but she'd won some respect from the mint haired girl here.

Jiraiya jumped down, from his perch, ready to help tie up the trio and get some answers from them. Least he could do after letting the kids do the heavy lifting, even if it was for their own good.

However, their victory was short lived when Kagero had struggled to her feet and walked over, now standing beside her defeated comrades.

Seeing this, Jiraiya frowned. "All right, Kagero was it? Look, I don't know what kind of jutsu you've got up your sleeve, but why don't you just surrender? You're friends are down, and I doubt you think you can take us all on alone. Just quit while you're ahead."

"Please, Mistress Kagero." Sasame stated, walking in front of the group. "Please, just listen to what I have to say."

Kagero closed her eyes for a moment before turning her onyx orbs on Sasame and answering. "… I can't do that. Lord Orochimaru has promised us that the Fuma Clan will spread its wings once more. I'll give anything for that to happen… even if I must sacrifice everything and use the jutsu I can only perform but once in a life time."

"Mistress Kagero, don't! You know what the risks of that jutsu are!" Sasame pleaded.

Their eyes darting from one Fuma kunoichi to the other, the two Jinchuriki made one last attempt to make her stop.

"Listen to her!" Fuu yelled.

"Are you really going to sacrifice yourself for someone like Orochimaru!?" Naruto questioned.

'_It is time._' Kagero thought, closing her eyes once again. '_The Antlion appears from beneath the earth and spreads its wings in the sunlight for only a brief moment. And with its birth, the Kagero you know dies._'

With that, Kagero bent forward, her entire body tensing and releasing a creaking sound before finally, it seemed to harden, every inch of the fake body turning light brown and brittle before its back split open, sending shards of the material everywhere. Fuu caught a piece, holding it between her fingers and examining the texture. Sasame had been right; it really was like an insect's cocoon.

From the opening at the shell's back, a visible torrent of chakra flowed forth, obscuring everything within it as a hazy figure emerged, the shell loosening and falling to the ground once the person rose to their true height, and the chakra fading. However, the person who emerged from the cocoon was still cloaked from head to toe in solid chakra.

The chakra enveloping her began to unravel, taking the form of four, insect like wings, and revealing the real Kagero.

Surprisingly enough, the girl was quite young. She looked to be in her mid teens, not much older than the pair of Jinchuriki. She had pale green hair of a lighter shade than Fuu's which flared out slightly at the back and parted at the center of her forehead, splitting into a pair of bangs that framed her face. She had a creamy complexion and had pupil-less, amethyst eyes and was quite on the slender side, having no visible development of her chest and a narrow waist with thin hips. She wore a backless, white dress that was held only on her left shoulder, fastened to a metal collar around her neck.

With a flap of her wings, Kagero flew into the air and hovered in the skies above the Konoha ninja, making rapid hand signs as she prepared her sacrificial jutsu. "Kagero's Ninja Art: Ephemeral!"

Her wings shifted before bursting forth as four lances of chakra moving right for the Konoha ninja and Sasame. They moved to brace themselves as the chakra crashed into the ground before them, creating a massive, blue explosion.

Kagero watched, closing her eyes as the blast consumed them, her chakra wings now frayed but still useable with her jutsu expended. '_Forgive me, Sasame._'

The last things she wanted to do was harm the girl. She seemed to truly believe she was doing what was best for the Fuma Clan, and if she truly thought Orochimaru was as dangerous as she said, she couldn't fault her for it, nor could she fault Hanzaki's group. But Orochimaru was the only one who could restore the Fuma clan to power. If this was what was needed for the clan to rise again, than, though it would weigh heavily on her heart, so be it.

However, her eyes widened when she the light died down revealing… nothing?

How could there be nothing? Her jutsu would kill anything caught within its range, but it wouldn't destroy the bodies. No… had they escaped?

As if to confirm her fears, she heard Naruto speak up from the trees. "Man, that was a close one. Thanks for the head's up, Sasame."

Turning her head, she saw the four emerge from behind the nearby trees … and they were perfectly fine.

Naruto grinned at the orange haired girl. Sasame hadn't explained much about the technique, but had warned them that, if they ran into who she feared they would, they'd need a way to block or evade a powerful attack. For that reason, Naruto had created a group of shadow clones with orders to intervene if things got hairy and, if they needed it, transform into them and substitute themselves with them. It had worked like a charm, getting them out of the way seconds before the impact.

The blond Jinchuriki's expression turned solemn as his eyes turned to the other Fuma kunoichi. This girl had just sacrificed her life, or at the very least shaved several years off of it, for the sake of that jutsu. And for what? For some false promise Orochimaru had made her and her clan. That man truly made him sick.

Kagero's eyes turned despondent as she realized she had failed, a bead of sweat rolling down her face as her body began to give out on her.

"Mistress Kagero… why?" Sasame asked in a slightly dejected tone.

"… I believed him… I thought it was for the good of the clan… I wanted to believe…"

She closed her eyes, summoning the last of her strength, and her entire body glowed with blue light. Her body was enveloped in a mass of energy and she dived her for fallen teammates, her light encompassing them before all three simply vanished.

Naruto stepped forward, looking at the spot where they'd been just moments before. Behind him, Sasame's expression became troubled as she worried over the fate of her fellow Fuma kunoichi.

The Kyuubi Jinchuriki's fist clenched as he thought of Orochimaru. How many more people had he deceived like this? How many lives was he going to ruin before he was satisfied? He grit his teeth in anger as he thought of all the atrocities this man was responsible for. '_One day, whether it's today or some time in the future._' He thought as his fist trembled with rage. '_I'm going to take you down if no one else gets to you first. You and the Akatsuki!_'

Fuu gave him a concerned look, guessing what was on his mind, and stepped closer to him.

Naruto was shocked out of his thoughts by a warm, comforting weight on his arm. Turning, he saw Fuu's tan hand was the source and turned his head to see her giving him a reassuring smile.

He gave her a grin in response, remembering what Fuu said the day before and knowing that he'd always be able to count on her being there for him, before all four turned to the forest where Orochimaru's base lied.

* * *

At that moment, Kagero and her teammates reappeared at the entrance to Orochimaru's underground lair, collapsing the moment she did. Only seconds later, exposure to the technique refreshing them, did Kamikiri and Jigumo begin to stir.

"Where… are we?" Jigumo questioned as he sorted out his memories, recalling the recent fight. His eyes widened before his head jerked in the other's direction and he saw the downed Kagero, as did Kamikiri.

"You fool… why would you sacrifice yourself for us?" Kamikiri questioned.

He got no response. Her skin tone had paled, becoming corpse-like as he her eyes dulled, no life was visible in her half lidded amethyst orbs. Kagero clung to life, but only just and both the male Fuma clan members knew she didn't have long.

Picking her up and propping her up on their shoulders, they took her into the base. Deep into it, through the candle-lit corridors and evading all the carefully laid traps, until they made it to the throne room.

They laid the kunoichi on the ground in front of them and kneeled down on one knee in reverence. Sitting on the throne before the trio, framed in shadow was none other than Orochimaru, leaning back with his hands resting on its arms. Beside him was his right hand man, Kabuto.

"Please, my lord." Jigumo pleaded.

"Our fallen comrade doesn't have long to live. Only you with your mastery of medical ninjutsu can possibly save her." Kamikiri continued, his eyes not leaving Kagero.

"…" Orochimaru didn't seem even slightly moved as his amber pools regarded the trio, a darkness shining in those cloaked, snake like eyes. "I want you both to bow your heads, put your hands to your hearts and contemplate. Contemplate the many ways in which you have failed me."

That wasn't what they were expecting to hear. Both Fuma clansmen raised their heads, now looking directly to their master in shock. "But my lord, we've risked our lives in your cause. Every order you've given us, we've obeyed. You promised you'd restore the Fuma clan!" Kamikiri said.

"You must acknowledge our service to you!" Jigumo insisted.

"There is only one way left… for the two of you to atone for your failures." Was the Sannin's heartless reply.

Kamikiri and Jigumo's eyes widened in horror and both turned to each other, sharing a look. Could Sasame have been right?

It didn't matter now. They'd made their bed. They nodded, agreeing that they wouldn't just die quietly without a fight.

On the off chance he might still fulfill his promise, as the pair drew their kunai, they gave one last apology.

"Lord Orochimaru!" Kamikiri said, holding his kunai into a reverse grip, his face twisting with his resolve.

"Forgive our betrayal!" Jigumo finished for him. And with that, both launched themselves at the Sannin, knowing it was hopeless but refusing to just roll over and die.

It was over in a second. One moment, both were on their way to engage the Sannin, the next, their bodies had been slashed open, blood flying from the massive gashes across their chests and painting the walls crimson as they gasped in shock and agony, giving their final, dying breaths before they even landed.

As the two bodies thudded as they fell atop Kagero's unconscious form, Orochimaru's malicious laughter echoed throughout the hall.

* * *

**So ends another chapter, I hope you liked it.**

**Also, I hope no one thought Naruto and Fuu's fears over Jiraiya's conduct with Sasame was too harsh, because Naruto and Sakura thought the same thing in canon.**


	11. Chapter 11

**All right, before we get to the chapter, there's something I'd like to say.**

**Stop asking me if I'm going to update Jinchuriki of the Six Paths. I already answered that question in the author note at the end of chapter 8. Since so many people seemed to have missed it, I'll say it again. I've been more inspired to write this story and have had writer's block for Jinchuriki of the Six Paths, but I think I've gotten over it and should have the next chapter, as well as the remake of my old bleach fic, out sometime next month or the following one. I will not abandon any of my stories.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Deep within the darkness of the temple-like entrance, dim, stone hallways led deep into the earth. The only light that shined within given off by the flickering candles attached to the walls. Deeper and deeper, one could go, where one wrong move could lead one to a horror.

More than just the threat of the usual traps, if one was lucky, or unlucky, enough to make it far into the base, they might find themselves in one of the many prisons of Oto, where the victims of Orochimaru's experiments dwelled. They all sat together in silence, most overcome with despair after spending so much time long in captivity, their wills stripped from them. Many were in poor condition, withering away from lack of proper nourishment or side effects from Orochimaru's experiments. Some had simply died in the cells and had been left there to rot. The only thing well maintained were the walls of the cage, to ensure there was no escape.

Or perhaps the poor soul would find themselves in Orochimaru's lab, full of glass, liquid filled containers that held the victims of Orochimaru's experiments who were unfortunate enough to truly catch his interest or his serpentine creations.

In the shadows of the entrance way, taking in every detail of its halls, scouring them for any signs of traps or hidden enemies was a single, unassuming beetle.

Outside of the base, looking at its entrance, hiding behind a massive root were Naruto, Jiraiya and Sasame. Fuu was hidden at their side, her eyes closed and her right hand forming a half hand sign to focus her chakra, using her jutsu to link her senses to the beetle she'd sent in, which dutifully followed every command she sent it.

"So, what do you see?" Jiraiya asked, turning his eyes to his most recent student.

"Well…" Fuu replied without opening her eyes. "I don't see any tripwires or anything like that, but of course I wouldn't see a well hidden pressure plate or something. Far as I can tell, the entrance is clear at least."

The Sannin nodded before Naruto spoke up, craning his neck to look at her. "What about chakra signatures?" he saw Fuu grimace slightly at the question. "What? Is there trouble?"

"You could say that…" She replied. "… My scout hasn't warned me of any other presences yet but… my insects have been anxious ever since we got here. This whole area reeks with a foul chakra they don't want anything to do with."

The toad summoner of the Sannin nodded, his eyes narrowing as his gaze returned to the base. "Sounds about right. I'm sure my former teammates been up to his old tricks in there."

Frowning, Fuu cut her connection to her insect with a quiet exclamation of "Damn!" Before she stood, her orange eyes opening again. "… The path splits three ways a short way into the base. I could explore them, but it'd take forever."

"That's good enough. At least we know the entrance is clear." Jiraiya replied as he stepped out of their hiding place, followed by the three teens. They approached the base and looked into the darkness.

"All right, kids. We're about to enter the belly of the beast." Jiraiya spoke, not looking back at the trio. "Remember Fuu's warning about pressure plates and be on the look out for anything she might have missed. Watch your step and stay close."

And so, they descended into the lair of the Snake Sannin, briefly coming to a stop at the entrance where Jiraiya made a hand sign before pressing his hand on the entranceway, a few seals that would have set off alarms across the base manifesting on the surface before releasing steam, hissing as they burned away. Naruto's eyes briefly shown with interest at that, making a mental note to ask his sensei about removing seals in the future. He'd learned of some pretty dangerous seals and knew that such an ability would be invaluable.

Naruto's ocean blue orbs wandered the corridor as the trio silently traversed the halls, feeling that someone like the Snake Sannin would feel right at home in a hole in the ground like this. The air in the base was chilly, and he could faintly detect the foul stench of death hanging in the air as the continued down the winding staircase. Squinting his eyes, he tried to look ahead, but the dim light of the candles only allowed him to see about a dozen yards in front of him.

Shortly, the trio came upon the division that Fuu had spoken of. Three paths, identical and with no markings, lied before them.

"All right, how're we going to do this?" Naruto asked as he looked to the paths.

The Sannin crossed his arms and closed his eyes as he hummed in thought. "Well, I know how we'd do things normally; I'd take a path, two of you would take another and one of you would go it alone. It's the obvious choice."

"But this isn't normal." The blond responded.

"How right you are." Jiraiya nodded, his brow furrowed. "We're dealing with Orochimaru here. There's no telling what kind of freaks he's got under his command." He looked over his shoulder at the trio. "For that reason, it'd be best if the three of you stick together. And as for me…" With that, Jiraiya reached into his kimono and in a dramatic motion pulled out a small stick and held it over his head, which extended, revealing itself to be a collapsible staff. With a cry, he slammed the staff into the ground, which fell to the side and pointed to the path to the far right. Nodding to himself, Jiraiya said, "I'll be taking this way."

The three teens slumped, sweat dropping as they stared at him in disappointment over his display.

"Geez, Ero-sensei." Fuu brought her hand to her face, resting it on her forehead and shook her head in exasperation over her sensei's antics. "Was there any point in that besides making you look ridiculous?"

Jiraiya whirled on the girl, his expression twisting in annoyance as he growled out, desperate to protect his pride, "Hey! I'll have you know this is a tried and true technique for finding one's way that's been passed down through the ages!"

"Yeah, right along with the old saying about stepping on cracks." Fuu commented, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "Naruto's right, you are a drama queen."

"If you think that was bad, wait until you see his self-intro." Naruto murmured.

Sasame tilted her head, her face taking on a look of curiosity and slight trepidation as she her eyes shifted from one Jinchuriki to the other. She recalled someone who acted like the toad Sannin from her own family and wondering if the situation here was similar.

"Was Master Jiraiya… maybe… dropped on his head as a child?"

Jiraiya face faulted, his body bent in a slightly awkward angle causing his legs to hang in the air as Naruto suppressed a snigger as he shrugged.

"Beats me. I wonder about that sometimes myself." Of course, he was, to some degree, just teasing the old man. He'd seen what he was like when he was serious and knew that, despite his more goofy side, he was an extremely powerful and skilled ninja worthy of his reputation.

"…Are all Konoha shinobi as eccentric as Master Jiraiya?"

Naruto's blue orbs turned to the ceiling as he brought a hand to his chin in thought.

"Well… there is this one guy who goes around screaming about youth, but other than that…" He commented, causing Fuu to raise a questioning eyebrow.

In a flash, Jiraiya was back on his feet, coughing into his hand as he decided to get things back on topic. "Well, I've chosen my path. What about you?"

Naruto turned to the two girls behind him, pointing to the center. "Either of you have a problem with the middle door?" Sasame shook her head while Fuu said 'Nope.'

"Now that that's settled." Jiraiya stated, turning to his path. "Let's move. We'll meet back here in thirty minutes if no one finds anything."

"Got it." "Right." "Yes." Came Naruto, Fuu and Sasame's respective replies, and with that, they split into two groups and went their separate ways.

The Sannin's eyes wandered the corridor as he traversed the path he'd chosen, which quickly changed. The smooth, well crafted walls of the base gave way to rough walls, covered in stalactites with natural looking stone pillars, lit by a series of lanterns hung from the roof of the cavern, which oddly enough swung as if caught in a non-existent breeze. The path was framed with natural stone pillars, the gaps between them trailing off into darkness.

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed in suspicion, his nose twitching as a familiar, alluring aroma flowed into his nostrils, tantalizing his senses.

"Huh. I smell perfume."

At the end of the cave like passage, a door cracked open with a creak of its hinges, allowing a light to shine through. The sounds of a koto, its strings being expertly plucked, flowed from the door, the soothing music echoed throughout the cavern, causing the toad summoner to smirk.

"I'm being invited in. I suppose it'll be more exciting if I accept the invitation."

Jiraiya calmly approached the door, his obsidian orbs searching for any sign of traps or hidden seals, finding nothing as he reached the end of the corridor. Pushing open the entrance, he found peeked inside before stepping halfway through the door.

The room was quite elegant, in contrast to the rest of the base. Calm light illuminated the room from two sources, a dim light that shined down from the ceiling, and the other from the folding screens that framed the room, black with moving, glowing gold cloud-like patterns that gave the room an ethereal air. There seemed to be no borders in the room, all sides simply trailing off into shadow, adding to the unearthly feel of the room, and the floor was covered in soft, green mats.

Sitting on the slightly raised center area inside the folding screens was a beautiful young woman wearing an extravagant kimono fit for a princess under a red robe with yellow trim, which sadly, in the Sannin's opinion, hid her figure, though he oh so enjoyed unraveling such robes when given the opportunity. She had long black hair. Her onyx eyes were closed as she played the instrument before her.

Jiraiya's smirk widened at the obvious honey trap that lied before him. As if someone of his caliber would fall for so obvious a stunt.

Still, might as well rest here and enjoy himself a bit. Besides, it'd be a bad idea to leave, not knowing what the woman would do.

Slowly, the young woman opened her eyes and raised her head, locking eyes with the white haired legend. "We heard guests would be arriving from far away, so Lord Orochimaru instructed me to provide you with some entertainment." She said, her voice smooth and alluring without not a hint of hostility.

Of course, any ninja worth their salt could fake such a response.

Taking in the sight of the beauty before him, the Sannin commented, "Why do I feel like I'm dealing with a tricky ghost?"

A coy smile playing across her features, the brunette replied, "Sir, if you're implying that I'm some sort of ghost, why don't you step over to this side of the room and check for yourself to see if I'm real or not."

"Well, I clearly picked an interesting path, didn't I?" Jiraiya commented. '_I wonder what those three found._'

* * *

Naruto cautiously peered around a corner as he traversed the corridor he'd chosen, Fuu and Sasame standing a few feet behind him as they waited for him to give them the 'all clear'. His eyes scanned what little of the hall he could was within his field of vision, searching for any sign of a trap or a guard.

Speaking of which, the blond found it odd that they'd yet to encounter anyone at all after ten minutes of searching. He knew this wouldn't be like any 'normal' ninja village, even before they found that Oto was apparently underground. Still, it was odd to find the place so devoid of life. Fuu's insects hadn't found any other signs of life either. They hadn't even come across any rooms yet. They'd found two branches so far, but Fuu's had sent some of her beetles down both paths to scout ahead both times, and each one was as bare as the other.

Of course, they'd only searched a small portion of the base. Still, considering the army Orochimaru unleashed upon Konoha, he thought that they should have run into someone by now, not that he was complaining. The less people here, the less they'd have to get through on the way out when they found Sasauke and Arashi.

Seeing nothing ahead of them, Naruto stepped past the bend, gesturing to the girls to follow him.

The trio walked through the corridor, careful to make as little sound as possible. Jiraiya had warned the two Jinchuriki that, as the name of the village suggested, Oto shinobi were trained to use sound and likely had heightened senses of hearing.

"Hey, Fuu." Naruto spoke just above a whisper, turning his head to look at the kunoichi. "Why don't you talk to the insects of this base and see what they know?"

"Don't you think I'd have done that already if I could?" Fuu asked, her brow furrowed and her tone irritated, but it wasn't the blond that she was annoyed at. Her gaze turned to the ground in front of them as she continued, "I'd love to, but there aren't any here." She was used to sensing the presence of insects all around her. It had become somewhat comforting to her, to sense the millions of lives going about their business and being able to talk with them, even if they weren't exactly much for conversation, and command them at will.

But here there was… nothing. There wasn't a single insect living within the walls of Oto, leaving a void where she'd usually sense them, occupied only by the presence of the beetles in her cylinder. It was almost like suddenly losing the use of a one of her senses and it left her feeling slightly uneasy.

Naruto arched a brow at that. "Nothing at all? Funny, Orochimaru doesn't strike me as the type to fumigate because of some bugs." He asked sarcastically, though he was genuinely curious.

"It's nothing like that." Fuu replied, her face frown deepening as she looked to the ground. "You remember when I said this place was giving off a foul chakra? Well, 'foul' may be an understatement. My beetles hate being here. Some insects might live on the surface, but none of them would come in this place."

Naruto reflected the mint haired girl's look. This place was radiating such twisted energy that even the usual critters, insects and pests you would find anywhere steered clear of it? That was not a good sign.

With a nod, he returned his focus to their surroundings, his eyes scouring every inch of the base for any signs of threats.

Just a few minutes later, he felt his eyes widen as the sound of stone grinding against stone faintly reverberated off the walls from nearby. His head jerked around so quickly anyone watching might fear he'd given himself whiplash to see Fuu staring in shock at the ground, the place she'd just stepped on indented in the ground in a perfect square.

She'd stepped on a pressure plate.

The three teens shared a wide eyed look before the walls opened up revealing countless kunai launchers.

With a slight cry, the three burst into motion, stealth thrown to the wind as they sent ran at top speed to stay ahead of the veritable storm of pointy, metal death.

"Weren't you the one who warned us about pressure plates?!" Sasame shouted to the mint haired kunoichi.

"It didn't budge an inch until I put all my weight on it, get off my case!" Fuu replied as they stayed just ahead of a painful death by a thousand cuts. It really hadn't. It was pretty much undetectable, nevertheless she felt humiliated for having sprung the trap.

Finally, they came upon a follow up trap, a trip wire hovering almost invisibly above the ground. Naruto and Fuu saw it, but Sasame didn't. Luckily, Fuu noticed this at the last moment and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her through the air as she jumped over it. Naruto, not needing to help someone else avoid the trap, simply stepped over the wire. The hail of kunai stopped just inches short of the second trap.

While the Jinchuriki were fine, Sasame was hyperventilating slightly from the panic of the ordeal, bent forward and placed her hands on her knees as she caught her breath.

The orange haired girl raised her head and gave Fuu a questioning look. Before she could ask the obvious question, the mint haired girl pointed to the tripwire and understanding overcame her features.

As the Fuma kunoichi collected herself, Naruto looked around, focusing his honed senses for any sign of attack. After all, it should be expected that someone would check the sprung trap.

Half a minute ticked by and nothing, so he figured it was safe to continue on.

"All right, I think we should keep moving." He said, as he began walking, looking over his shoulder and motioning for them to follow.

The trio continued on in silence, finding another split in the corridor, branching off into four halls.

"Let's go with this one." Fuu said, pointing to the left path. Seeing no reason to argue, Naruto and Sasame nodded and the trio continued.

Two minutes later and still nothing. Naruto was beginning to get frustrated by the lack of activity. He was sorely tempted to use the shadow clone jutsu to scout out the base, but if one was seen, it probably wouldn't be too difficult to destroy, which meant that whoever found it would raise the alarm.

He remembered what Jiraiya had told him about sensor type ninja. Fuu, in a way, could be considered a sensor type since her insects relayed everything they sensed to her. He made a mental note to try and pick up some sensory abilities of his own at some point to ensure that he never faced this kind of situation again; stumbling blind not even knowing if he was going the right way through some kami-forsaken hole in the earth, literally considering what probably went on down there.

Suddenly, the floor opened up beneath him, revealing sharpened bamboo poles about a dozen yards down.

A pit fall. He couldn't believe it. A pit fall trap of all things.

Fuu's expression shifted into one of shock and horror as she saw the blond fall through the air and disappear into the hole that opened up in the ground.

"Naruto!" She ran to the edge of the pit and looked down… before stepping away, placing a hand to her chest as she breathed a sigh of relief.

The Kyuubi Jinchuriki had managed to reach the wall of the pit with his hand and stick to it with his chakra.

He planted his feet on the wall before leaping up, flipping once in the air and landing on his feet beside Fuu.

Wiping his brow, more as a simple gesture of effort rather than to wipe sweat away, he let out a breath and commented. "Man, that was a close one, huh?"

As soon as he spoke those words, a wall loudly emerged from the ground, causing both their heads to jerk in its direction. It separated them from the pit, obviously meant to ensure that anyone who fell in and lived couldn't escape.

"Geez, that was all kind of cliché though, wasn't it?" Naruto questioned, pointing to the wall that now separated them from the pitfall. "I mean, seriously, what's next a giant boulder coming at us from out of no where?"

The green haired Jinchuriki's head jerked in his direction with a startled expression before she threw her left arm out excitedly. "Naruto, don't say things like that! Didn't anyone ever warn you about tempting fate!? You're asking for…"

Whatever she was going to say next died in her throat as the sound of something heavy hitting the ground reached them, sending a slight quake through the stone walls. Only a moment after this, they heard the sound of rumbling coming at them from behind the barricade that stood where the pit once did.

Slowly, the two Jinchuriki turned their heads to look in the direction of the noise that was gradually getting louder with each passing moment.

"Uh, guys… do you hear that?" Sasame asked nervously as she eyed the wall standing between them and whatever was approaching.

As if they didn't already know what it was.

"You've gotta be kidding me…" Naruto grumbled, causing the mint haired girl to glare lightly at him. "What? You can't be blaming me for this!"

"Just run!" Fuu said, spinning on her heel and bolting back down the hall they came from. The other two teens followed suit mere seconds before the wall came down, revealing the cliché boulder rolling down the hall, threatening to crush them.

"What the hell!? Where does Orochimaru get the ideas for his traps from, old movies!?" The Uzumaki survivor shouted as they ran at top speed. Finally, they reached the fork in the road they came to earlier and ducked to the left, letting the boulder roll past them, traveling out of site down the only corridor they'd yet to enter.

"Well, wasn't that fun?" The Nanabi Jinchuriki quipped sarcastically as she placed a hand on her hip and looked to Naruto, giving him a knowing smirk. "Now, what have we learned here today?"

"I get it, I get it. Don't tempt fate." Naruto murmured, crossing his arms and turning his head away as Fuu's mouth widened into a grin at the blond's response. Naruto then turned to look down the hall. "Well, there's probably nothing down that way…" He gestured to the path the boulder had disappeared into. "… so let's try this one."

* * *

Meanwhile, Jiraiya seemed to kick back and relax, sitting cross legged on the tatami mats in the unearthly room while holding a cup of sake, his eyes closed and not a hint of tension in his body. Beside him, the beautiful brunette continued to strum her instrument, the calming music washing over the toad summoner as he enjoyed the meal before him.

In reality, despite his weakness for the ladies, the Sannin was on full alert, waiting for the woman to reveal whatever her game was, but so far there had been nothing. Raising the sake cup to his lips, he took a sip, draining it and studying it's taste and found himself surprised. This wasn't some cheap, watered down crap, it was the good stuff, but what really got his attention…

'_Hm… this doesn't taste like it's been tampered with…_' So honed were the senses of shinobi of his level, any S-class ninja worth his rank could easily detect a spiked drink, no matter how minute the toxin was, unless it was made by someone of Tsunade's caliber, which he highly doubted was the case. So then… this was just good sake and a fine meal? What was this woman playing at?

While nothing showed on his face, something occurred to him and he set his now empty cup down.

"Right, you're from Oto… so you must be planning to use some type of sound based jutsu." Jiraiya speculated as he gripped the bottle of sake, causing the woman to stop playing.

"I'm afraid this song isn't only for our guests… but also for myself." The woman replied before she rose to her feet and slowly made her way over to the white haired man, who poured himself another cup.

"I see… and what do you play when you play from the heart?" The Sannin inquired.

She sat down behind him, her head inches away from his shoulder and said quietly into his ear, "I composed this music to accompany my own funeral."

Jiraiya drained his cup once again before humming thoughtfully. In a burst of motion, he pushed her aside, sending her sprawling halfway across the room, crashing onto her koto as he flipped up to his feet.

"Trying to butter me up, huh? Well you've underestimated this Jirai-AH!" He grunted as he fell to his knee as a wave of pain reverberated through his entire body, his muscles locking up and refusing to respond to his command.

Gritting his teeth, he looked to his left wrist and noticed a small cut. He'd been poisoned after all, just not the way he'd expected to be.

His vision fading in and out, he looked to the woman who slowly rose to her feet, chuckling, her soft, soothing tone replaced a malicious, almost insane sounding one.

Pulling one from the Toad Sage's own book, her hair extended and shot forward, becoming as strong as steel wire as they ensnared him. She then shot over, her putting her face next to his, her wide open eyes shining with malice and insanity, her irises shrunken down to almost imperceptible dots.

"Escorting our guest to the afterlife is my final mission before I can go there as well!" The woman said before the sound of gears shifting above them drew the Sannin's attention. Following the sound, he saw the ceiling was coming down.

"A false ceiling!?" Jiraiya questioned in shock before it came crashing down on top of him and his captor.

* * *

Naruto, Fuu and Sasame continued to explore the base. As they made their way through the corridor, there was a shift in their surroundings. Instead of the blue, uniform hallways they'd traveled through until now, they found themselves in a more spacious, purple one. It was completely unlit; anyone without the trained senses of a shinobi would be left stumbling blindly through the darkness.

Soon enough, they reached the end of their path. Before them stood a set of large metal double doors with golden handles.

Naruto craned his neck to look to his two companions, who nodded to him, telling him to go on. Stepping forward, he touched the door and slowly pushed, its hinges creaked as the door slid open just enough for them to slip through, revealing the room behind was a long hall, the path across its expanse, each with a candle casting dim light along it. Beyond that, there was only shadow.

The blond's brow furrowed as he stared into the room. So much of it was obscured. Anything could be lurking in the shadows. He turned to his fellow Jinchuriki and whispered, "Fuu, can you send your insects to scout ahead? This place is perfect for an ambush."

The white clad kunoichi nodded and joined Naruto at the door, looking over his shoulder as she sent about a dozen of her insects, who flew through the crack in the door and flew into the massive chamber. Fifteen seconds passed before one of her insects returned, reporting what it'd learned.

Fuu closed her eyes as the insect relayed its findings to her before frowning as she looked through the opening into the room. "There's one person waiting in the room ahead. Whoever he is, he has jonin level chakra." Of course, that didn't mean much. Just because they had the chakra of a jonin didn't mean they had the skill to back it up. "And… up ahead there's another chakra signature." Her face twisted as she continued. "Whatever it is, it's massive and… vile. They said it's like some twisted mishmash of several corrupted chakras."

Frowning at this, Naruto nodded, thinking it was probably one of Orochimaru's experiments. Whatever it was, they were obviously nearing the heart of the base. They could either move forward, or head back and find Jiraiya.

Making a decision, he summoned a kunai to his hand. Seeing this, the kunoichi drew their own weapons, Fuu triggering the mechanism hidden in her armlet while Sasame drew one from her pouch, tensing as they prepared to engage the enemy.

Directing the two kunoichi behind him with hand signals, the three entered the room, sticking to the shadows as they moved forward. Naruto and Sasame took places behind the second and first pillar on the right respectively, while Fuu hid behind the second column on the left, putting one of their strongest on both sides of the room, while the vulnerable Sasame trailed behind.

Pressed against the column before him, he looked to Fuu, who met his gaze and nodded, both tense and ready for an attack.

They didn't have long to wait. The presence didn't wait long to reveal itself, not with an attack from the shadows, but with a chuckle that echoed throughout the room.

"Well now, isn't this a surprise? It's been quite some time, Naruto." A familiar voice echoed throughout the room. "And I see you've brought some new friends too." There was another chuckle. "I guess you wised up and saw Sakura just dragged you down."

Naruto's eyes widened in recognition before they narrowed as he hissed, "Kabuto."

The purple clad medic nin stepped out of the shadows, his left hand casually resting in his pocket. Standing at the edge of their field of vision, he turned to face them, the light of a candle reflecting off the lens of his glasses, hiding his eyes behind a menacing, red glow as he smirked at the trio.

"You seem to have grown quite a bit since we last met. We've heard tales of your exploits. A pity you and Jiraiya managed to take out those Janin, Lord Orochimaru was quite interested in their jutsu." He shrugged. "But, no matter, it was simply a passing curiosity."

"If you're here… then that means Orochimaru's here too." Naruto said, stepping out from the shadows and facing the older teen. Sasame jolted at that, fear piercing her heart at the thought of facing down the rogue Sannin without Jiraiya.

Kabuto's smirk widened slightly and he as he brought his hand up to his face and pushed his glasses up. "What of it?"

"If that's the case then Sasuke can't be far." Naruto said before throwing his arm out, glaring at the medic nin. "Where is he!? And where's Arashi Fuma!?"

"Oh, still looking to save him, huh? And here I thought he made it clear he wanted nothing to do with your little village anymore. Or maybe you want to bring him back for a certain teammate of yours?" Kabuto commented, tilting his head to the side. "And Arashi… ah, is that how you got that girl to help you? Well, I'm afraid if you want to find out, you'll just have to force the answer out of me."

"I planned on it!" Naruto shouted as he shot forward.

Kabuto's smirk never faded as he drew several shuriken and threw them at Naruto, drawing kunai as he deflected or ducked under the attacks and closed the distance between them.

Naruto slashed at Kabuto with his kunai, but the man blocked the attack, deflecting it and retaliating with a downward slash of his own blade. Naruto dodged to the side and retaliated, beginning a fierce exchange of blows, the clang of their weapons echoing throughout the empty room.

Then, Naruto leapt back to dodge a slash and Kabuto used the momentum to spin into a kick, striking the blond in the chest, only for him to burst into smoke.

"A shadow clone?" Kabuto questioned, his eyes narrowing before they widened as he sensed something behind him.

He turned his head, seeing Naruto come down out of the edge of his peripheral vision with his kunai charged with wind chakra. The medic nin jumped back in time to avoid the attack, but Naruto immediately called four shuriken to his hand and threw them at the Oto spy.

Kabuto flipped back to his hands, dodging the attack before flipping again and landing on his feet just in time for Fuu to come at him from behind, having discarded her kunai in favor of a water blade, swinging the liquid weapon in a wide arc.

Kabuto ducked under the attack and spun on his heels as Fuu raised her sword above her head and brought it down on the purple clad medic. Kabuto locked his kunai against her blade, staring up at her from his crouched position.

"Hidden Waterfall Style: Water Slicing Blade…" Kabuto observed, realization shining in his coal orbs. "Ah, I see. You must be from Taki."

"So what if I am?" The mint haired girl questioned.

"Well, I was just wondering why you'd be teamed up with a Konoha shinobi… I doubt that Konoha would allow a foreign shinobi to travel with Jiraiya of the Sannin… unless you're no longer a ninja of Taki." Kabuto analyzed, his smirk returning. "But if you betrayed your village, they never would have sent you on such an important mission. Could it be that Taki discarded you and Konoha so graciously decided to let you in like a little lost stray?"

Fuu's face twisted in anger as she pushed harder against Kabuto's kunai. "Shut up!"

"Aw, what's the matter, did I strike a nerve? Then again, I suppose it'd be a sore spot for me too if my village cast me away like trash. I'm surprised they took you in. You'll just probably wind up weighing them down just like Sakura did."

Fuu saw red. Remembering all the times the people of Taki had discouraged and mocked her, all the scorn they showed, how they betrayed her and cast her away.

She grit her teeth, her vision clouding over with anger as Kabuto's words brought out all her ill feelings towards her former home.

With a growl of rage, her eyes burning with anger, Fuu brought her hand away from her blade and summoned a second water sword. Kabuto's eyes widened as he leapt back, just barely avoiding being beheaded as she slashed at him.

Before he could retaliate, Fuu twisted her blade in her hand, holding it in a reverse grip, and threw it at him like a javelin, aiming to skewer him right between the eyes.

Kabuto tilted his head to the side as the weapon approached, the weapon sailing past him, taking off a few strands of gray hair.

Fuu immediately summoned another water blade and attacked him with rapid, wild strikes, determined to strike him down. She left the man no openings, no chance to retaliate as she slashed from every angle, her anger fueling her attacks and he found himself being pushed back. With every attack he blocked, he could feel his arm give way slightly, the force sending brief jolts of pain through his arm. Her blows getting stronger and faster as she unconsciously began drawing on small amounts of her Biju's chakra.

"So I'm just a lost stray, huh!?" She snarled as she continued to attack. "Then why don't you show me how weak I am!? What's wrong?! Come on and attack!" He leapt back when she stabbed at him.

His honed hearing picked up the faint sound of metal cutting through the air and he turned to see more shuriken coming at him from above, thrown by the blond who came at him from the air. Flipping his weapon and holding it by its ring with his thumb, Kabuto made a hand sign and dived into the ground, allowing the metal stars to fly harmlessly into the ground.

The moment Naruto touched down, Kabuto burst from the ground and slashed at him, aiming to cut him in half.

Naruto jumped back and flipped through the air to dodge, landing one his feet beside Fuu, who was ready to attack again and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Calm down, Fuu." Naruto said to her. "This is his game. If you let him get inside your head, you're screwed. Besides, you know what he said isn't true. You're one of the strongest ninja I know."

Hearing that, Fuu breathed out a sigh, his words calming her. Her banishment was and would probably always be a sore spot. "Thanks, Naruto." Her eyes hardened as she glared at Kabuto. "Don't worry, I won't let him mess with me like that again."

Her orange orbs turned to Naruto when he spoke in a whisper, "Besides, we can't afford to lose focus. There's something wrong with him."

Fuu's gaze became questioning, but before she could ask what he meant, a truly malicious chuckle, one that would send shivers down the spines of anyone who heard it, save hardened warriors and shinobi, echoed throughout the room.

"Kukuku… My, my… they seem to be giving you some trouble, aren't they Kabuto?"

All three of the young teens' eyes turned to the source of the sound to see a pair of amber eyes shining in the darkness.

"Tha… That's…" Sasame shivered, feeling like a helpless mouse in the gaze of a snake, paralyzed with fear as its inevitable death drew close.

Naruto and Fuu tensed, preparing for the fight of their lives, beyond even their fight with Akatsuki, as footsteps echoed throughout the room. Walking into the light was none other than the snake summoner of the Sannin.

"Orochimaru!" Naruto hissed, bringing up a kunai and gripping it tightly.

"I came here to see what all the commotion was. What a surprise to see it's you again. I must applaud you for making it this far. Sadly, I'm afraid this is as far as you'll go." He turned away, walking back to the door. "Do try to enjoy yourself before you finish them off, Kabuto."

Naruto began to speak, but surprisingly, before he could even speak a word out, Sasame left her hiding place. "Orochimaru!"

The Sannin turned, arching a brow at the girl. "Oh… And who, pray tell, might you be?"

"S- Sasame Fuma." The orange haired girl replied. "Tell me… where's Arashi!? What have you done with him!? And, and Sasuke too!"

"My, how bold." Orochimaru responded amusedly before he turned away once again, looking to Kabuto over his shoulder. "I suppose there's no reason to hide it. Go ahead and tell them, Kabuto." With that, he walked away, vanishing into the darkness before the sound of a door closing was heard.

Kabuto gave a brief grunt of acknowledgement before he pushed up his glasses with his index finger. "Well… as I'm sure you know, unfortunately, Sasuke was a little late getting here and Lord Orochimaru wasn't able to wait. He had to make due with another vessel… Lord Orochimaru gave him the curse mark to prepare him to be his next vessel… but not everyone can bear the burden of the curse mark." He shrugged and shook his head, ignoring the shocked expressions on the younger teens' faces. "Such a shame, it was my lord's last chance at the Sharingan…"

"Do you think I'd believe that for a minute!?" Naruto questioned angrily.

"But it's true… And as for Arashi, well, test subjects don't often survive for very long I'm afraid." Sasame's eyes widened and she took a step back, her expression horrified and disbelieving, bringing a hand to her chest as pain began to well up inside her. "The reason Lord Orochimaru values me so highly is due to my talents as a medic… With my abilities, he can experiment on a body dozens of times before it wears out. But regrettably, even my talents have a limit."

"That… that can't be…" Sasame whimpered, holding her hands to her chest as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Don't listen to him!" Fuu shouted, briefly looking to Sasame before returning her gaze to Kabuto. "I know people like him; all they do is lie and manipulate people. Think about it, why would he tell you the truth?"

"But what reason do I have to lie?" Kabuto countered with a smirk, placing a hand on his hip.

"You mean besides breaking our wills and making us give up?" Naruto replied. "This is just another of your mind games, isn't it!? You managed to pull the wool over the eyes of everyone in my village, so why the hell should I believe you now!?"

"Very well, then. Suit yourself." Kabuto replied, shaking his head before he raised his kunai. "After all, you'll all be joining them in about a minute."

"I've heard enough out of you!" Naruto shouted, throwing his kunai at the missing nin.

Kabuto deflected the attack only to see the blond in front of him, his arm reared back to punch square in the face. The purple clad medic blocked the attack with his palm, only for the genin to twist his body into a sweeping kick, forcing him to jump back to dodge.

Before Naruto could follow up on the attack, Kabuto kicked off the ground and buried his fist in the Uzumaki's gut, causing him to bend forward and let out a cough, Kabuto brought his arm back to slash the genin, but Naruto twisted his body, evading the weapon, before jumping back out of range.

Naruto summoned another kunai and launched himself at the man, who charged forward to meet him. This time, Naruto channeled wind chakra into his dagger, giving it a blue glow as he charged as much energy as he could into it.

Kabuto's eyes widened in shock as their weapons collided and rather than clashing as usual, Naruto's weapon sheared through his blade. While it didn't cut even halfway through, it was enough that Naruto could now tear the dagger out of Kabuto's hand, leaving him open as he spun into a kick, striking him in his solar plexus.

Kabuto coughed as all the wind was forced from his lungs and he was sent back a few feet. Hearing something above him, he looked up to see Fuu, armed with a single water blade coming down on him. He reached into his pouch to pull out another kunai and raised it in a defensive stance, only to sense something behind him as the mint haired kunoichi swung her blade in a downward arc.

As he blocked Fuu's sword, he turned his head to see a mass of insects coming at him. With a look of pure shock, he realized she'd made herself a decoy.

With his blade locked against Fuu's, he could do nothing to stop the swarm from consuming him. With a cry of surprise followed by another of effort, pushed off from Fuu and leapt back, the only way he could move, feeling countless pincers bite into his flesh and drain his chakra. Thinking quickly, he dived underground once again, forcing most of the insects off of him.

Nevertheless, he could feel that a considerable portion of his energy had been drained away. Emerging from the ground, he was heard another battle cry. Looking above him, he saw Sasame coming down, throwing four kunai, each equipped with an explosive tag.

He leapt away from the weapons as they collided with the ground and exploded. He shielded the lower half of his face as he was pelted with debris. Only a moment after the blast, Naruto burst from the cloud, his left arm trailing behind him as he held his kunai in his right. Kabuto took on a fighting stance ready to engage the blond, when the boy grinned.

He threw out his left arm, revealing a necklace of prayer beads which flew towards the missing nin. He instinctively shielded himself from the perceived attack, causing the Jinchuriki's grin to become feral as he made a single one handed seal.

"Sealing Technique: Weighting Seal!" The beads glowed crimson before wrapping around Kabuto's arms, binding them together, and then suddenly increasing in growing heavier. In only a second, the necklace weighed well over 100 pounds.

Kabuto's arms were dragged down by the unexpected weight, his limbs hitting the floor, causing him to wince in pain as they cracked the stone tiles and leaving him wide open. Naruto punched the missing nin in the face, something he'd wanted to do for a long time, shattering his glasses and sending their remains to the floor before proceeded to pummel the man, slamming his fists into his stomach three times before following up with an upper cut and then kicking him away, though he didn't go as far as he would normally due to the necklace weighing him down.

As she watched this, Fuu gave a smirk of her own and weaved hand seals before inhaling deeply. '_Water Style: Wild Water Wave!_'

Fuu spit out a deluge of water which slammed into the missing nin and drove him back through the air, across the room and into the wall. He coughed and sputtered, struggling to take in oxygen as the water sprayed across his head, before letting out several grunts of pain. The water faded to reveal several kunai lodged in his body; two lodged in the sides of his stomach, one in his chest one in his left in shoulder and another on his hip just above his right leg. None had hit a fatal location, but together, he wasn't going to be fighting anytime soon.

He slid to the floor and looked up, glaring at the two Jinchuriki, who looked down at him victoriously side by side, Naruto having been the source of the kunai.

"D- damn you…"

"Hmph, looks like you're all talk after all." Fuu commented as she placed a hand down on her hip and looked down at the fallen jonin. Naruto however, gained a serious look as he walked over to the downed missing nin, meeting his glare before asking a question that surprised the two kunoichi in the room.

"All right, who the hell are you?" Fuu and Sasame looked at him in confusion, as did Kabuto before he chuckled.

"What kind of question is that? And here I was under the impression you were smarter than…"

"Drop the act and answer the question!" Naruto cut him off. Kabuto didn't answer, choosing instead to simply glare up at the blond. After a few moments, Naruto spoke again. "You did a pretty good job pretending to be Kabuto. You had me going at first, but you made one mistake; you don't fight like Kabuto." Still not getting a response, he continued, "You're pretty good with mind games, but the real Kabuto's got you beat six ways to Sunday. On top of that, the real one's a medic nin who fights primarily with chakra scalpels. If you were really Kabuto, you would have tried to cripple me back there when you punched me, or you'd be trying to heal yourself now."

After a few seconds, 'Kabuto' chuckled, his expression becoming rueful. "… You're a lot more observant than I was informed… you must have grown quite a bit since they last saw you…"

The two kunoichi stepped up to Naruto's sides, the white clad girl wearing a hardened look while the orange haired one wore one of curiosity. Just to be safe, Fuu sent out her insects and had them begin draining the rest of 'Kabuto's' chakra, causing him to grimace as they once again bit into his flesh and drained his chakra.

The Uzumaki reached down, the purple clad ninja's face. He found it gave way to his grip, like a mask. Grabbing tightly, he pulled it away, the face ripping and tearing away like paper, along with his hair to reveal… Kagero.

"Mistress Kagero?" Sasame questioned, surprised to see it was her after she used her sacrificial jutsu.

"Sasame…" The pale green haired girl replied, her amethyst orbs rising to look at her. "I'm surprised to see you came all the way here… you've grown a lot… ah, but you were always so close to your cousin, Arashi. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you came here after him."

"Kagero…" Naruto started, his fist clenching. "If you're here pretending to be Kabuto… he and Orochimaru aren't here, are they?" Sasame turned to him, slightly surprised as Kagero shook her head. "In that case…"

"Sasuke isn't here either." Kagero finished for him.

"But then… who was that guy pretending to be Orochimaru?" Fuu questioned, her expression thoughtful. It couldn't have been one of those other Fuma loyalists, could it? And if it was, where was the other?

Kagero simply looked away at the question, refusing to meet their eyes. "Well, if Sasuke's not here, then what about Arashi? What's Orochimaru been doing with him all this time?"

"Only what we asked for him to do." Kagero replied looking up. "Lord Orochimaru… he's the savior of the Fuma clan. We may have fallen, but he will help us rise higher than ever before."

"Wake up!" Fuu said. "He's just using you. He's never going to deliver on that promise, he'll just keep using you until you've got nothing left to give him."

"That snake never keeps his word. He wouldn't lift a finger to help anyone but himself." Naruto growled before tossing his arm out. "But never mind that, where's Arashi!?"

"Arashi…" Kagero said in a remorseful tone. "… You should go now… it's best if you don't see him as he is now."

Sasame's expression became panicked and she shot forward, gripping jonin's shoulders as she gently shook her. "What is it!? What's he done to him!?" Kagero looked away, clamming up once more. "Please, where is he!?"

Kagero met her gaze before turning to look in the direction the fake Orochimaru had disappeared to.

"So, he's over there?" Naruto questioned, his brow furrowing as he wondered if Arashi had been the fake Orochimaru. Fuu's frown deepened as she followed the Fuma jonin's gaze, a bad feeling stirring up in the pit of her stomach as her insects spoke to her.

"Please… some doors are best left unopened. Simply turn away now while you still have the chance." Kagero pleaded.

"Not gonna happen." Naruto replied adamantly. "We're not leaving until Sasame sees her cousin."

"Right." Fuu agreed.

Sasame gave both a thankful look before turning to the door. Slowly, she and the Jinchuriki walked away from Kagero, her strength almost completely drained and still covered by a swarm of insects and held down by the sealed beads to insure she didn't try anything.

As they neared the door, it began to open, causing the trio to freeze in their tracks, Sasame taking a step backward and raising her arm in front of her to defend herself and in an effort to ward off her fear. With a creak that echoed through the hall, it swung open fully, and out of the darkness stepped Orochimaru. The two Konoha shinobi tensed for a moment before the doppelganger spoke, the voice still the Sannin's snake like one, but the tone different, almost… warm.

"It's good of you to come, Sasame." The fake spoke.

"Where's my cousin." Sasame asked after a moment of hesitation.

The fake smirked before bringing his hand up and gripped the top of his head. He then tore away his own disguise, just as Naruto had Kagero's to reveal a man who looked to be in his late teens. He had brown eyes and gray hair like Kabuto's which fell around his head, slinging to his neck and framing his face. He wore a beige shirt with a blue vest and matching wrist bands, along with light blue trousers and black sandals.

Sasame's face lit up in joy. He was here. She'd been so afraid, gone so long without seeing him. All those fears and worries, all trepidation, melted away when she saw him again.

He was perfectly fine, with no sign he had been experiments on. Nor did he seem blindly loyal to the snake Sannin like the others. He was just looking at her with the same smile that warmed her heart that he always had.

She ran forward, wanting to embrace him and never let him go again. She'd come to save him, just as she promised herself she would, and from here on out, it wouldn't just be him protecting her. They'd keep each other's lives safe and restore their clan's name the right way, without the monstrous snake Sannin.

"Arashi!" she cried happily, only for her expression to change to one of shock as she felt something hold her back. Turning her head, she saw it was Fuu, holding her forearm tightly and preventing her from reaching him. "Fuu?"

Naruto also sent her a curious look. He had a bad feeling he knew where this was going.

"Sasame…" Fuu began, her expression pained. She looked away, not wanting to meet her gaze.

She didn't want to tell her. She didn't want to be the one to ruin this happy reunion, but it had to be done. After the last two battles, Sasame had proven herself trust worthy enough that Fuu considered her a comrade, perhaps even someone she might want as a friend if she continued as she had… and that meant that she'd stick by her, and she wasn't going to let her go waltzing into the jaws of danger alone or unaware.

She couldn't let her reach her cousin, as much as she wanted to help him for her, as much as she wanted to see them reunited… because he was the one her insects were warning her about.

"…" Her gaze hardened as her orange eyes turned to Arashi. "I'm sorry, Sasame, but that's not the cousin you knew."

At those words, Naruto, his suspicions confirmed, tensed and turned to the older Fuma shinobi.

"What?" Came Sasame's almost broken reply, one could almost hear the hope and joy die in her voice.

"She's right." Arashi said, drawing the Fuma kunoichi's attention. His head fell forward, his hair shadowing his eyes. "I'm not the Arashi you once knew."

Sasame's face took on a look of pure, unrestrained horror as she stepped back, Naruto and Fuu taking on similar expressions, as the three watched Arashi's skin darken unnaturally, taking on a reddish brown complexion as veins began to pop out all over his body.

His back began to swell unnaturally, ripping off his shirt as the mass of flesh consumed his neck and continued to grow until the shifting growth seemed to contain more mass than the rest of his entire body, the lump bulging out sickeningly from his smaller frame, the tissues in the growth shifting constantly. However, the already disturbing sight became far worse when it was revealed just what the lump really was.

Bursting out from the shifting mass of flesh on either side were the faces of Jigumo and Kamikiri, their eyes pure white orbs, letting out unearthly groans as the tissues in the growth continued to ripple around them.

Sasame shrieked as she watched his transformation. The two Jinchuriki's faces shifted from horror to anger and disgust at this display.

"What the hell did Orochimaru do to you!?" Naruto questioned, furious and sickened at the atrocity he was bearing witness to, an all new revulsion for the snake Sannin growing within him.

"He merged the minds and skills of the Fuma clan's strongest ninja, transforming me into the ultimate shinobi." Arashi replied, his voice now deep and guttural. He then raised his head, revealing his own eyes were also pure white orbs, his mouth spread into an insane, bloodthirsty grin that revealed his teeth, almost large enough to distort his already twisted features. "Now, let me show you the most powerful ninjutsu you've ever seen, Sasame."

"Arashi…" Sasame continued to stare in horror at the monster Arashi had become as the two Jinchuriki took up places at her sides; Fuu placing a hand on her shoulder as she summoned a water sword to her free hand while Naruto moved in front of her to shield her from the sight, both trying to comfort her and to keep her back as they knew she wouldn't be able to face her cousin. "What have you done to yourself?"

"Orochimaru, you bastard!" Naruto snarled as he prepared to fight the once-human monster before him. "I swear I'll hunt you down!"

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**Hope you liked it.**

**I'd like to note that, aside from the boulder, all the cliché traps were canon.**


	12. Chapter 12

**And we've now arrived at the conclusion of the rice arc. This is going to be a long one, hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

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The three young teens stared down the repulsive abomination Arashi had become. Tears streamed down Sasame's face as her mind struggled to comprehend what she was seeing. Far away, Kagero took on a pained expression as she looked at what had become of her clan mates before she clenched her eyes shut and turned her head away, not wishing to see what they'd been turned into.

"Sasame." Naruto said, taking a step forward and raising his kunai, charging it with wind chakra. "Go back and stand by Kagero."

"Wait, Naruto! You're not actually going to fight him, are you!?" Sasame cried, panic clear in her voice, desperate to save Arashi despite what he'd become.

"Does it look like he's just going to let us walk away?" Fuu questioned, stepping away from her as she took on a sword stance, gripping her liquid blade with both hands.

"And look at him…" Naruto said, preparing to fight. "… He's not the cousin you loved anymore."

As if on que to prove his point, the mass of flesh shifted once more, growing and shiftin as Jigumo's face writhed and it let out another inhuman groan, his face distorting, as if his bones, if it even still had them, were contorting and realigning until the tissue around it bulged out and took on a rough, deformed, legless humanoid shape around the deceased spider user's face, its left arm massively oversized and its right, while smaller, still twice the size of a normal arm.

Sasame screamed at the sight of while Arashi let out an insane laugh.

"Sasame, get back! I know you don't want to fight him, but we don't have a choice here! Let us handle it!" Naruto yelled, turning his head to look at her over his shoulder.

"You can't! Please, Arashi stop!" Sasame cried, trying to move forward, causing Fuu to grab her.

"Forget it! The Arashi you knew is dead and gone! All that remains is this fusion of Ninja Art: Cadaver Puppets! Just a lump of unfeeling flesh!" Arashi's guttural voice cut through their thoughts before he pointed at them. "Now, Jigumo, attack!"

As if responding to his command, the flesh puppet formed from Jigumo's corpse shot forward, the flesh connecting Jigumo to Arashi extending before it seemed to drag the Fuma jonin along with it. It reared back its massive arm, ready to strike.

Naruto jumped to the right as Fuu grabbed Sasame and leapt away, dragging the girl who struggled against her grip over to the downed Kagero as the oversized hand slammed into the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dust and destroying several tiles.

Naruto landed on one of the stone pillars and bounded off of it, flying straight towards fusion of Cadaver Puppets as Jigumo moved to counter, throwing a clumsy but powerful punch at the genin, who deflected the attack, placing his hands on the hand as it neared and pushing downward, sending the attack off course and himself a little higher into the air. He flipped around, landing on his feet, and then kicked off towards Arashi's main body.

"No!" Sasame screamed, still struggling against Fuu's grip. Finally, the mint haired Jinchuriki saw that there was no convincing the girl to stop, and knocked her out with a jab to the back to the neck, causing her to slump forward unconscious.

As she set Sasame down, she glared at the other Fuma kunoichi. She couldn't fathom how anyone could possibly let people they cared about be turned into this… _thing_… let alone continue to follow the one who did it, no matter what they promised.

"You know, you make me sick." She snarled at the other green haired girl, who frowned at her. "How can you serve Orochimaru knowing what he did to your clan mates?"

"Don't talk as if you know what we've been through." Kagero replied, their pupil-less eyes meeting in a harsh glare. "For years, we've barely scraped by. For years, the daimyo scorned us and allowed us to suffer all because we failed when he gave us an impossible order. Lord Orochimaru is out last hope!"

"Don't give me that crap!" Fuu snarled back. "So he's going to raise your clan back into glory. Huh? How? By turning you all into insane monstrosities!?" The Jinchuriki grabbed Kagero by her collar and pointed to the battle just as Naruto leapt back, having fought toe to toe with Arashi's main body before Jigumo once again slammed his hand into the ground and forced him back, throwing several shuriken which were easily deflected by the oversized arm of the puppet.

"Look at them." The Nanabi Jinchuriki ordered the Fuma jonin. Kagero averted her gaze, looking away in shame, so Fuu forcefully jerked her head in the battles direction. "Look. At. Them!" She said, punctuating each word. "How can you serve a man who did _that_ to your own flesh and blood for his own sick amusement!?"

She let go of the jonin's collar, stepping away from her. "I can understand sacrificing yourself for the greater good of your clan and village, but to let _this_ happen to your comrades, when all you've been offered in return is a few pretty words, you must be either blind or stupid! What do you think your clansmen would say if they could see this!? Would they want you to revive your clan this way!?"

"That's right!" Naruto said as he fell from the shadows that covered the ceiling, landing beside them. Fuu looked briefly surprised before turning to the battle still raging and then to the blond Jinchuriki standing beside her, realizing he must have switched himself with a clone.

Pointing back at the hulking form of Arashi, Naruto glared down at the green haired jonin, "How much of your family are you going to sacrifice before you get through your head that Orochimaru doesn't give a damn about you!? Want to know what happened to the last guy who trusted him? It was the Kazekage! As soon as he had the chance, Orochimaru killed him and took his place so he could control Suna and use them for his attack on our village, and then throw them away as soon as they were of no use to him anymore! He sacrificed two of his genin so he could use a kinjutsu to revive and enslave the dead! Before that, he experimented on people from his own village and betrayed another group he joined. That snake _never_ keeps his word unless it benefits him more than breaking it, and some times he'll do it anyway just because he's that big of a bastard!"

Really, unless the Kazekage was backing out of their arrangement, there had been no reason to kill the man. On top of that, considering how quickly he was found once Suna focused on their own country, he obviously hadn't taken any measures to hide what he'd done. All that gave Naruto the impression Orochimaru killed him and left him there to rot just to prove he could and no one could stop him. It wouldn't surprise him, the man's arrogance and ego made Sasuke seem downright humble by comparison.

"So tell me, why would he keep his promise to you!? What would he have to gain!? You and the Fuma clan are no different to him than any of his other followers, he'll use you till he's sucked everything out of you he can, then double-cross you first chance he gets!"

Kagero's eyes widened as she stared at him, disbelief and dawning, horrified realization overcoming her features. Was this what Sasame was trying to warn them about? If the man had that kind of track record… then the chances of him actually keeping his promise to them were slim.

It didn't help that her now dead teammates had been fused with this Arashi for failing him. Granted, it was Arashi who killed them; nevertheless, considering Orochimaru had made him that way, she doubted he'd be upset to hear it.

Then… had this really all been for nothing? Had her clansmen's lives been thrown away for nothing? She'd clung to the belief that he'd keep his promise because it was her clan's only hope, now that he had the ear of the daimyo, but if what he was saying was true then… "That can't…"

The blond's ocean blue orbs shot open and he quickly grabbed Kagero, wrapping his left arm around her while making a hand sign to release the seal on the prayer beads around her arms. "Fuu, move!"

The mint haired Jinchuriki quickly followed suit, grabbing Sasame and leaping away as Naruto bolted in the opposite direction just as Arashi's massive arm crashed into the space they'd occupied just moments before, destroying a huge chunk of the wall and the floor.

The Uzumaki snarled at the mutated shinobi as he flew through the air. His clone had dispersed itself when it saw Arashi going for them and knew it wasn't fast enough to stop him, sending the blond its memories and warning him of its attack. Good thing. While their senses would have warned them in time to escape, with those seals weighing Kagero down, he likely would have been left wide open had the clone not done as it did.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!?" Naruto shouted as he landed, glaring at Arashi. He wasn't worried about Kagero as, at this point, she'd been completely drained of chakra and could barely even life her arms. "You could have killed both of your clan mates with that move!"

"That's the idea!" Arashi replied with crazed glee. "Their not doing me any good as they are now, so they might as well join Jigumo and Kamikiri!"

Both the Jinchuriki's faces twisted in disgust at that, while Kagero's became sorrowful, having seen enough of Arashi's current state to know he'd think that way. Before either could respond, the Jigumo cadaver puppet opened its mouth and spit out masses of webs, each headed by one of his spiders, which snaked around in different directions as they approached the blond and the incapacitated jonin.

Naruto leapt into the air and summoned a fuma shuriken and unfolded it, channeling wind chakra into it before throwing it. It sliced cleanly through the webs and continued along its path to Arashi, who jumped above it, touching back down on the ground with a crash, his weight cracking the tiles.

Fuu, having hidden Sasame behind one of the pillars, fired multiple bullets of water at the hulking monstrosity, but Arashi simply shielded himself with Jigumo's oversized arm, his bulk protecting him from most of the damage. Once more the Jigumo puppet opened its maw and spewed webs at her. Fuu jumped to a pillar and bounded across the room, evaded the threads as she continued to pelt Arashi with liquid bullets.

As the white clad kunoichi traded attacks with Arashi, Naruto summoned a trio of shadow clones, which charged forward to engage their foe, each calling a kunai to their hand.

The first made a swipe at the abomination as it approached, but Arashi deflected the attack with a deft movement of his hand. Before the clone could follow up with that attack, it had to dodge to the side to avoid Jigumo's massive, deformed hand.

Another clone took the opportunity to attack the flesh puppet, jumping and throwing a punch at its face, but it caught the attack with its smaller hand. The clone twisted its bedy around, using its momentum to aid it as it kicked the deceased shinobi's face, causing it to release an inhuman groan as it was pushed back a bit before it retaliated with a swipe of its over sized arm.

As the clone faced the puppet, the other two engaged Arashi's main body. While one would think that his body structure might slow him down, his arms still moved in a flurry and deflected their blows, the massive amount of biomass contained in his body enhancing his muscles and allowing him to easily overpower them.

Naruto gave a grin as he watched his clones engage the unstable experiment and summoned four kunai to each hand, holding them between his fingers while Fuu looked down from her spot far above, her feet and left arm planted on a pillar that she clung to with her chakra. She was ready to join the fray when she saw Naruto begin to move and waited, not wanting to interfere with whatever his plan was but preparing to attack or cover him if need be.

Arashi held his arms in a cross guard to block a punch from a clone that would have struck him in the center of his chest. However, his pure white orbs took on a questioning look when the clone smirked.

Without warning, all three of the clones exploded, the combined blast consuming the monstrous shinobi.

Naruto let the kunai fly when he saw their adversary disappear and clapped his palms together. "Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

A wave of wind slammed into the metal stars, propelling them through the air and towards the monster, still covered by the cloud.

At that moment Arashi, only slightly burned by the explosions due to his bulk, decided to retaliate. "Kamikiri!"

At his command, the flesh around Kamikiri rapidly expanded into a humanoid form similar to Jigumo, the puppets grew arms similar to the other's, but his scissor blade extended out of its larger limb. It threw the weapon at the blond. It spun, seeming to rapidly become a solid metal disc, which cut through the wind and deflected the kunai. Naruto ducked under the blade, which sailed through the air, shifted in its path and sliced cleanly through a pillar, which fell to the ground.

Fuu summoned a water blade the moment the Kamikiri flesh puppet threw its weapon, summoning a water sword as she came down on it. Jigumo whipped around, spewing webs at her. She sliced through one mass of threads, but a second caught her by the ankle and pulled her toward him. Kamikiri's blade returned to him like a boomerang and he slammed it into her, stabbing her through… only for her to disperse into insects.

The puppet let out a moan of anguish while Arashi gave an enraged howl as the insects bit into its flesh and began sucking its chakra, dutifully obeying Fuu's commands even though they found the chakra disgusting.

The real Fuu came at them from behind, but Jigumo's remains, its body simply tissue, tilted its head until it was staring at her, upside down, before spewing more webs, grabbing her by the arm.

As the Kamikiri puppet shook off the insects ravaging its arm, Jigumo swept its massive arm and caught Fuu with its limb, sending her flying to the wall, slamming into it with enough force to shatter the stone on impact.

Before Arashi could continue, Naruto was upon him again, having retrieved his fuma shuriken and refolded it, using it as a blade and channeling wind chakra through it as he engaged the missing nin. However, after making a single upward swipe which the hulking form of Arashi leaned back to dodge, catching a small slash along his chest and drawing blood from the wind chakra, he dodged to the left to evade Jigumo, who slammed its pseudo-palm into the ground, and then jump back as Kamikiri lashed out with his scissor blade.

He jumped up as Jigumo made another swipe, making another hack at it, but the attack was deflected by Kamikiri's scissor blade, pushing Naruto back to the ground. He launched himself back at him, twisting his body and letting another attack from Jigumo's arm to pass below him, using the limb as leverage to launch himself at Kamikiri, who's unwieldy arms were too large to stop Naruto from slamming his knee into its face. Naruto moved to hack the face off, but he was forced to leap away to dodge an attack from the deceased spider user.

"You're dead!" Arashi growled, only for his senses, or more accurately Kamikiri's to warn him of approaching danger. He spun around to see Fuu coming at him, too fast for him to dodge with his bulk and holding her water sword to stab him. He manged to knock the attack aside, causing it to dig into the side of his abdomen, causing blood to spill out from the injury.

"Bitch!" The twisted ninja snarled as he moved to bat her aside, but Fuu ducked under his attack. She then stepped back as he attacked with all three of his bodies, skillfully maneuvering and snaking around well over a dozen strikes before ducking under a punch from Arashi's main body and lashing out with her leg, slamming the sole of her sandal into his face and sending him staggering back. She would have ended it then and there, but she had to jump to evade another slash from Kamikiri's weapon as Naruto returned to the fray, attacking Arashi's main body again. Arashi deflected another slash, but it was a faint and he found himself taking another blow to the face, this time by Naruto's fist.

The blond followed through with an uppercut, causing the monster to stagger back but he was then chased away by Kamikiri as Fuu came down from above, holding her blade in a reverse grip angled down, trying to impale him. Arashi arched his head, looking at her from the corner of his eye.

"It's no use! Kamikiri!" The flesh puppet that had once been Kamikiri whipped its blade around towards the mint haired Jinchuriki. She raised her water blade to shield herself from the blow. The scissor like weapon collided with her liquid one, sending sparks flying and pushing her through the air.

Fuu flipped around and landed on a pillar on her feet before launching herself back at the monster, slashing at Kamikiri's face, only for him to block with his pincer weapon, landing and bounding off the ground to stab at Arashi's form, but the two puppets lashed out. She ducked under an attack from Kamikiri and jumped above Jigumo's following attack, thrusting her blade into the flesh of his massive arm, causing the mask to moan in pain and whip her around, trying to throw her into a wall.

The female Jinchuriki held firm to her blade before pushing off at the first opportunity, flipping through the air as Naruto charged forward with his oversized shuriken, engaging the trio of fused ninja in a furious exchange, ducking and dodging under every attack from the pair of contracts while Arashi blocked his attacks with his normal arms.

Naruto threw a punch at Arashi's face, which he batted aside, but he was unprepared when Naruto slammed his knee into his stomach. He twisted around as he fell through the air, catching Arashi's face with a sweeping kick before he planted his hands on the ground and jumped backwards to evade when Kamirkiri stabbed at him with its weapon, which tore through the ground, sending cracks through the tiles and kicking up a small cloud of debris.

The Jigumo puppet moved to attack, but shielded itself with its arm as Fuu threw her blade at it. The weapon dug into its arm, causing it to moan disturbingly once again before the weapon melted into water.

Kamikiri once again stabbed at Naruto, but he snaked around the blow, folding his fuma shuriken and pumping as much wind chakra into his it as he could, before jumping forward, the blue glow of chakra extending from the blade and slicing cleanly through Kamikiri's arm, weapon and all.

The flesh puppet let out a roar as Naruto turned in mid air, landing feet first on a pillar and lunging at the experiment as Fuu did the same, attacking from both sides.

The two attacked in tandem, throwing punches, kicks and slashing their weapons at Arashi and Jigumo, dodging around their counters as Kamikiri thrashed with its mangled limb, spilling blood everywhere. While Arashi had a massive advantage in strength, his odd body structure limited his movements somewhat, he couldn't lift his legs to kick at his enemies nor could he jump quickly, and at times his puppets massive arms were unwieldy, not to mention their attacks were telegraphed.

Naruto sliced off Jigumo's smaller arm and moved to stab him in the face, only to twist his body to evade when two normal sized left arms burst out of its body, forcing him back to the ground.

Then, Arashi spun, both puppets lashing out with their arms and forcing the pair back. The genin looked on in dismay when Arashi stopped moving as they watched the the injuries close up. The holes in Jigumo's arm vanished in moments and its smaller arm grew back while Kamikiri's arm pulled itself back together. While the pincer weapon was divided in half, it could still be used the same as it was lodged in the constructs flesh, though it could no longer be thrown. To make matters worse, two more right arms burst out of Kamikiri's body, brining his total amount of limbs to 10.

Naruto cursed, wondering what it was going to take to bring his down for good.

Arashi tilted his head back and let out an insane laugh before looking to the two, grinning manically.

"Why don't you two just give up?" Arashi questioned. "I have all the combined power and skills of the Fuma clan's strongest shinobi! And as soon as I find those two you hid from me or strike you down, I'll gain your powers as well! Why keep up this farce! It's pointless! I am the ultimate shinobi!"

"Shut the hell up!" Naruto yelled, throwing his arm out. "Orochimaru thinks the same thing about himself and guess what? He's gotten his ass handed to him at least three times! You're just like him, nothing but another arrogant jackass with a god complex!"

"Ultimate shinobi, yeah right! There are plenty of people out there who can wipe the floor with you. And guess what, you're looking at two of them!" Fuu said, pointing her sword at him.

"Bold words. If you're so confident that you can take me down, why don't you prove it!" Arashi charged, his heavy footfalls thundering throughout the room.

The Jinchuriki kicked off the ground, meeting him half way. Both focused on Arashi's main body, the extra limbs on the extensions making trying to attack the others too much of a risk.

While Fuu dodged an attack from Kamikiri and slashed at Arashi, who carefully batted her blade aside, Naruto jumped into the air and grabbed onto Kamikiri's arm when he tried to attack, but was shocked when the pincer weapon was pulled back into his flesh. Knowing it was about to come out and skewer him, Naruto used his arm to throw himself into the air once more, flipping as he came down and catching Arashi in the face with a falling axe kick, causing his entire body to tilt forward.

Jigumo swept his arm out again, only for both to dodge, Fuu by leaping into the air and Naruto by kicking off the ground and shooting backward, making on hand sign as he did.

'_Wind Style: Air Bullets!_' Naruto took in a deep breath before opening his mouth and releasing a wave of fist sized wind bullets. Arashi raised his arms to protect his face as the attacks pelted him, causing him to growl in frustration.

Jigumo spewed more webs at Fuu as she rebounded off a pillar into the air above them, but Naruto immediately tossed his shuriken and severed the threads. Fuu then inhaled deeply, puffing out her chest a little.

'_Secret Ninja Art: Scale Camouflage!_' She thought as she blew out a golden powder which consumed Arashi, causing him to cry out in shock when the light from the powder blinded him.

Naruto smirked, knowing that Arashi was blind at the moment, before launching himself at the monster, forming a sphere of chakra in his hand.

It was virtually impossible to miss where the unstable experiment stood due to his size. The Kyuubi Jinchuriki thrust the orb of chakra forward, slamming it Arashi's chest, the power of the orb causing the golden powder to disperse in a spiral pattern. "Rasengan!"

Arashi let out a scream as the orb dug into his tainted skin, carving a spiral pattern in his flesh. The pain reverberated through his entire body, causing the flesh puppets fused with him to freeze as well. Finally, the orb exploded, sending him flying back into a pillar which collapsed on top of him, burying him in rubble.

Kagero watched, her eyes wide as she could hardly believe the monster Arashi had become was being pushed back. "I don't believe it…"

Naruto stared where the hulking abomination was buried while Fuu landed on the ground, both tense and waiting for Arashi to make his next move. No doubt that after that, he was hurting, but the chances of him actually going down from that were slim.

Suddenly, something burst from the cloud of debris, moving almost too fast for even the trained eye to see. It slammed into Naruto, causing both to vanish as whatever it was carved a path through the ground.

"Naruto!" Fuu called out, running over to him. When the dust cleared, he was revealed to be trapped in a rainbow colored chakra cage shaped like an inverted pyramid, just large enough to contain him and give him room to move his arms slightly.

"What the hell's this? Some kind of barrier jutsu?" Naruto questioned as he tried to push on the walls of the cage to no avail.

Arashi's insane laugh drew both their attention as he raised himself up from the rubble, holding his main bodies hands in a triangle shape mere inches apart from each other.

"You should feel honored. This is a forbidden technique known only to the ancient chiefs of the Fuma Clan: Fuma Ninja Art: Spell of the Mandala!" With that, he brought his hands closer together, causing the cage to shrink slightly and Naruto to struggle against it. "As the chakra cage shrinks, the person inside is crushed, smaller and smaller until both are the size of a pebble! And what's more, there's no way to break free! Not while I maintain the jutsu!"

Fuu grit her teeth in anger as she turned from Naruto and glared at Arashi. She summoned water blades to both her hands. "Like hell I'll let that happen!"

However, she'd only made it half way to her adversary when a voice stopped her in her tracks. "Arashi stop!"

Sasame leapt out from behind a pillar, a kunai in her hand. With all his and his puppets attention on the chakra cage and the approaching Jinchuriki, he'd completely let his guard down in all other areas. Fuu, focusing on Naruto and Arashi, was also surprised to see the Fuma kunoichi.

Sasame landed on Jigumo, her kunai digging into the flesh right beside the deceased shinobi's expressionless face. Jigumo let out an unearthly moan as visible chakra leaked from its mouth and eyes. The flesh that made up the deformed body began to melt away from Arashi.

"Sasame…?" Arashi could hardly believe what had just happened. His face, a mask of shock, twisted into a look of rage. "What have you done!?"

"Please, Arashi… come back to me…" Sasame begged softly as she slid down Arashi's body along with the liquefying flesh. "I know you're still in there somewhere, I know it!"

Arashi reached over to grab her but Fuu shot forward, causing Arashi to stumble back to avoid a slice of her blade. She would have pressed her attack when something unexpected happened.

Arashi took in a shark breath, his eyes widening, and much to the surprise of the two kunoichi, the Fuma shinobi's eyes returned to normal. Fuu stopped at this, standing in front of Sasame with her sword raised, ready to move if he attacked.

His head fell forward, shadows covering his brown orbs.

"You're there, Arashi aren't you?" Sasame said hopefully. Fuu would have made a comment on how unlike that was when Arashi spoke, his tone returned to the voice they had heard before his horrific transformation, though it carried an almost unfathomable pain.

"Please… forgive me." He said, somewhat strained and shaky as tears fell from Sasame's eyes. "All I wanted was the power… to help the Fuma clan find its place in the sun once again…"

"Yes." The young Fuma kunoichi stated, taking a step towards him. "I know… I do understand. But it's over now, you can come home. You can come back to the village."

Arashi shook his head.

"Never again… look at me, I've become a monster."

"No! That's not true!" Sasame denied, even though she could see what he'd turned into clear as day.

"I- if you knew the agony…" He turned to Fuu, raising his head, his eyes pleading. "Please… e- end this… put me out of my misery."

Fuu nodded and took a step towards him to fulfill his request, but Sasame stopped her. "No, you can't!"

"Sasame…" Fuu growled. She could see how much Sasame was hurting, but she highly doubted there was anyway to undo what had been done to Arashi. Besides, her main priority was saving Naruto.

However, before she could continue, Kamikiri's eyes glowed with chakra. Arashi jerked, and let out a grunt as pain course through his system and his eyes clenched tightly. When they opened, his eyes were once again pure white, the kinjutsu's influence over him returning full force and suppressing his sanity.

"What am I saying? I'll kill every last one of you!" He yelled as he Kamikiri lashed out with its blade. Fuu grabbed Sasame and leapt back, the pincer like weapon slamming into the ground.

"Arashi, no!" Sasame cried at seeing her cousin lose his mind again.

Arashi simply laughed insanely as he once again began to push his hands together, causing the cage to shrink some more. Fuu's head whipped around at the sound of Naruto's cries of pain as his body was slowly crushed.

However, at that moment, the motion of Arashi's fingers flashed into her mind. What would happen if his fingers were forced apart? Would the jutsu break?

Before she could put her theory to the test, Sasame beat her to it. "No, I won't let you do it!"

She charged towards, Arashi, knocked his hands out of position with a slap and gripped his wrists, fighting to keep him from crushing Naruto.

"Sasame, I'm warning you!"

Seeing this, Fuu smirked before turning and running towards Naruto, keeping Arashi from seeing her form the tiger hand sign.

"Sasame, get away from me!" The Kamikiri puppet reared back to impale Sasame, only to have to move to defend itself from a water blade. "What!?"

Arashi turned to see five clones of Fuu, formed from the water left behind when she and Naruto took down Kagero, charging at him from left and right, one aiding Sasame in forcing his hands apart while the rest attacked, forcing Kamikiri to defend their body.

With the mutated shinobi distracted, Naruto began to push the chakra cage apart, the walls of it cracking open as he struggled against it as the mint haired kunoichi ran to him, insects flying from her cylinder as she made her way to the trapped blond.

Fuu reached him and formed a water blade before stabbing it into the cage, careful not to stab Naruto, and using the blade as leverage to help him tear open the prism. Both let out cries of effort as they put their all into freeing the blond, Fuu putting her foot inside the cages boundary to apply more force.

Arashi almost laughed when he saw this, having destroyed all but two of the clones. Once the last of these distractions were gone he'd repair the cage. If he was fast enough, he could even take off her leg while he was at it. This was almost too easy! All he needed was to…

It was then that a clicking sound reached him, causing his eyes to widen. He spun around to see a wave of reddish black insects coming down on him.

"What? No!" He could do nothing but cry out in rage as the cloud of beetles consumed him, far too many for him to shake off and quickly covering two thirds of his body. He could feel them bite into his flesh, draining his chakra rapidly. He felt his strength draining as it became harder and harder to maintain his jutsu.

To make matters worse, the beetles moved to restrain Kamikiri' limbs, preventing him from aiding him as his cousin and the remaining clones forced his hands apart.

This was bad! He needed to release the jutsu before…

Too late. Naruto and Fuu's combined efforts caused the cage to burst open, releasing a wave of power with them at the center, protected from the blast.

Kagero, far enough away to be relatively safe, had enough of her strength rise to her feet and dive for the nearest pillar, using it to shield herself. She could hardly believe the technique she'd only heard about in legends of their clan had been used in front of her very eyes… and was beaten so easily.

"No…" Was all Arashi could say as the wave of power reached him, Sasame and the clones. The group could only stare in shock and fear as the explosion approached them before finally, the force pushed them into the air.

The clones were blown into pillars, causing them to break apart into water, while the two cousins were blown away together. The light of the explosion concealed a fragment of the chakra cage which sliced Kamikiri's remains off of Arashi, causing him to return to normal.

He felt true peace for the first time in months, despite the situation he found himself in. Suddenly, the haze that covered his mind, the pain that had encompassed his entire being, was gone and he could think clearly once more.

Seeing rubble flying towards them, he wrapped his arms around his younger cousin and spun around, shielding her with his body.

Sasame opened her eyes when she felt his warm arms envelope her and heard the sound of flesh being pierced and saw a jagged piece of stone sticking out of Arashi's back. "Arashi… you're hurt."

"I'm sorry, Sasame… I never meant to cause you so much suffering." Arashi said softly, giving her a warm smile.

"No." She sniffled. "No, Arashi, you're the one who suffered, not me. What can I do… tell me, isn't there anything I can do?"

"You've already done it, Sasame." The gray haired man replied in a comforting tone. "It's thanks to you that I'm myself again."

Meanwhile, Naruto and Fuu sat on the floor, Naruto with his arm propped up on his leg while Fuu sat on her knees with her feet splayed out, panting at the center of the destruction, the small area around them untouched by the destruction caused when the prism was broken, but beyond that a deep pit had been carved into the ground.

Naruto looked around before chuckling and giving her a fox-like grin. "Wow… that was a close one, huh?" He said, turning to look at the two Fuma shinobi. "And look, it seems like Arashi's back to normal."

"Yeah." Fuu nodded before craning her neck to look at Naruto, giving him a smirk. "You know, this is the second time you've wound up trapped by some lethal jutsu since I've met you. You're not going to make a habit out of this, are you?"

Naruto gave a chuckle in response before he shrugged. "Let's hope not. But either way, better it's me than you." He stated, causing her to look at him questioningly. "Did you already forget?" He asked before his mouth spread into a smile. "I told you before I'll come running if you ever need help. I'll always be there for you Fuu, and I never go back on my word." He then gave Fuu a bright grin that caused his eyes to close, which when combined with his whisker marks made him look like a fox. His left hand came up at the same time as the smile appeared on his face, giving her a thumbs up. "Because that's my nindo, my ninja way!"

Fuu felt blood flow to her cheeks at his words before she looked away, not wanting him to see her blush. "I didn't ask you to protect me." Before he could respond, she continued, "Because… I want to protect my friends too. Being there for those I care about… is part of my nindo, my ninja way."

The Kyuubi Jinchuriki blinked before smiling at her again, which she returned. However, that quickly faded as he took in his surroundings. "Uh… Fuu, what's wrong with this picture?"

Fuu looked back to him with a frown before she looked around… and grimaced when she realized the explosion had destroyed most of the pillars… and given from how much travelling they'd done, those were probably major support columns for the whole base. "… You've gotta be kidding me…"

Only a moment later, the entire base began to shake, chunks of rock falling from the ceiling. Naruto stood, looking around. "Damn, looks like this whole place is coming down!"

A huge section of the ceiling fell away, allowing the light of day to shine into the room, as Fuu joined him on her feet. She turned to the older Fuma kunoichi and ran towards her as dust and debris covered the floor of the room. "I'll grab Kagero! You go get Arashi and Sasame! We need to find a way out of here, fast!"

"Don't worry, I'll summon a toad to take us up, I'm just worried about the Pervy Sage!" He yelled at her over his shoulder.

The moment those words left the Uzumaki's mouth, Jiraiya appeared, riding atop Gamahiro.

"Did somebody call my name?" The Sannin asked amusedly, looking down at them with his arms crossed. "Sorry I'm late, I was held up. You're not the only ones who had their hands full." He said. Behind him laid the unconscious form of the brunette Fuma clan member who'd tried to kill him along with herself.

"Well, speak of the devil." Naruto commented with a grin before making his way to Arashi.

Fuu gave a small smile at seeing their sensei arrive before she made her way to Kagero, who looked up at her, clearly surprised.

"You're going to… save me?" She asked, her tone clearly conveying her confusion. "Why not just leave me here after what I put you through?"

"Well yeah." Fuu answered as she picked her up, slinging her arm over her shoulder. "You're not exactly my favorite person in the world, but you did what you did for your clan and you can see Orochimaru for what he is now, right? I'm not just going to leave you here to die like this."

Kagero looked to the ground, her expression sullen, now knowing that everything she'd done had been a mistake. "I see… thank you."

However, when Naruto grew close to Arashi, he threw Sasame, who had lost consciousness to him. He stopped and caught her, his expression one of surprise as he looked from her to him.

"Go, Naruto." Arashi said calmly, even though a large piece of the stone ceiling crashed down only a few feet from his body. "Get out of here with your sensei."

"But… what about you?" He questioned before his expression twisted in anger. "Don't tell me you don't think you deserve to live after everything Sasame went through to save you!"

Arashi shook his head. "I may have my original form and mind but… I'm just a Cadaver Puppet too… I can't leave this base. I'd die the moment I stepped outside its boundaries…"

Naruto's face fell at that, looking at him with an expression of pity. "Are you sure…?" When he nodded, Naruto did in turn, before leaping up to Gamahiro's head a moment after Fuu reached their sensei too.

"What about him?" Jiraiya asked, gesturing towards Arashi, having been too far away to hear the conversation.

Naruto closed his eyes and shook his head, his face unreadable as he reflected on what had become of Arashi and how, in the end, they couldn't fully save him. But at least he'd die as himself and not a monster.

Just then, Sasame began to stir. She cracked open her brown orbs and looked to him, her hazy vision briefly causing her to mistake him for Arashi before it cleared enough for her to realize he wasn't. "Where's… Arashi?"

Naruto averted his gaze, causing her to sit up and take in her surroundings, her face set in a look of panic as she searched for her cousin. It was then that she saw him, down at the ground. "Wha… what are you doing? Arashi, aren't you-?"

Seeing she'd have to see to understand, Arashi closed his eyes, focusing his chakra and sending out a wave of force to blow the smoke away, revealing a sight that caused Sasame's face to once again twist with horror, and the others in grim expressions, save for Kagero, who looked away in shame for having allowed this to happen.

Around Arashi's legs were the sentient remains of Kamikiri and Jigumo, groaning as the liquefied tissue formed arms and wrapped around the man's legs, trying to re-fuse with him. Worst still, against his will, the man's own flesh took on the reddish brown tone once again as an arm burst from his pant leg and merged with the two puppets.

"I'm sorry, Sasame… My life is tied to this place. Even if it weren't I can't leave like this. This is where I belong now." Arashi said apologetically.

"Arashi…" Sasame whimpered.

Jiraiya met the young man's gaze, sharing a serious look. Both nodded before Jiraiya turned to the massive toad they stood on. "Let's go."

With that, Gamahiro took off, jumping into the air and hopping across the remains of the pillars and into the daylight. All the while, Sasame fought against Naruto's grip, screaming as she tried to join her cousin.

'_Goodbye, Sasame._' Arashi thought as they vanished from sight, just moments before the base collapsed entirely. '_And thank you._'

* * *

As Gamahiro sailed through the air far above the land, Sasame continued to desperately reach out for the base, tear drops torn from her eyes and sparkling in the light as they fell behind them as she extended her arm towards the base, crying out Arashi's name one last time.

It was at that moment that the base collapsed completely, the earth imploding and creating a deep pit in the ground.

Seeing this, her struggles stopped as she froze. Her eyes wide and her irises and pupils shrunk to such a size that you'd almost need a microscope to see them. She stopped breathing for a brief moment before she broke down, her heart torn in two as she knew that her cousin was gone. She clutched desperately to the blond, burying her face in his shoulder as she cried.

Fuu sent a sympathetic look her way, remembering how it felt when she thought Naruto had died. While Sasame had made some mistakes back there, she had tried to save Naruto, even if she hadn't been willing to hurt Arashi to do it. And in the end, she'd been right about him. Thanks to her, he died a human rather than a monster.

The mint haired girl thought what happened to Arashi was horrible. While she felt he should have seen this coming given what was known about Orochimaru and had, to some degree, brought it on himself, that didn't change how awful his fate was. To be turned into an abomination, twisted into a mockery of everything you cared about and stood for, trapped inside your own body and forced out to destroy what you care about… no one deserved to have that happen to them… or to be in Sasame's shoes when she saw what he'd become.

Kagero could only avert her gaze, feeling partly responsible for being taken in by the snake Sannin's lies.

Naruto held her as the boss summon landed on the ground, causing the ground to rumble as a cloud of dirt and debris erupted around it. He didn't want to imagine what this must be like for her. He knew, to some degree. This whole experience brought back bad memories from the ill fated mission to rescue Sasuke.

He could still remember the way his brother in all but blood had callously disregarded the lives of their comrades… the smile on his face when he stabbed him through the chest with his Chidori. But there were large difference in their situations, one of the largest being that he could still save Sasuke… but Sasame would never see Arashi again.

If he were honest with himself, and at the moment, he wasn't ready to yet… this made him question if Sasuke could be saved. He'd told Sasame Arashi wasn't the cousin she knew anymore, and he was right, though he'd been there buried deep down. Sasuke on the other hand… he wasn't sure exactly how much of an influence the curse mark had been on him… or if it could he removed and its influence undone now that it had corrupted him to this point.

Arashi wasn't the Arashi Sasame had known anymore… could Sasuke ever be the Sasuke that he and Sakura had known again?

"Why?" She cried out, her hands clutching at Naruto's vest, bunching the material. She could feel nothing but pain her mind replayed all those times he'd been there for her. He'd been a shoulder for her to cry on, he'd saved her life more times than she wanted to count, he'd helped her no matter how hopeless she seemed… and now the one time he needed help, she couldn't do anything.

Why was she so powerless? Why couldn't she ever do anything right?

Why did he have to die? He'd been so kind and gentle. He'd never done anything wrong!

"It's not fair! All he wanted was to help our clan find its place again!" She spoke through her sobs. "Why… why couldn't I save him?"

"These things just happen sometimes." Jiraiya spoke up, drawing their attention. Sasame's pulled her head away from Naruto's shoulder just enough to look at the man through her tears. "We all like to think that life is fair, that karma will strike back at people like Orochimaru, but the truth is, that isn't the case. A lot of the time, things work out. A wise man once said 'When I despair, I remember that all through history, the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible. But in the end, they always fall.', but it doesn't happen all the time. Sometimes, bad things happen to good people for no reason. Sometimes you can do everything right, and still lose it all. But you know what?" He asked, meeting Sasame's single visible eye, the other still buried in the Jinchuriki's shoulder, before turning away, walking nearly to the toads nose and looking out at the landscape. "That's just how life is. Sometimes, it shows you its ugly side. You have to take the good with the bad, and to hold on to what's precious to you."

He turned to her, balling his hand into a fist and bringing it to the left side of his chest, just above his heart, giving her an encouraging smile. "Arashi may be gone, but part of him will always be right here with you, along with all the good memories you shared."

There was a pause as his words sunk in, before Sasame felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw it was Fuu's tanned hand on her shoulder, the mint haired girl giving her a soft smile. "That's right. A part of him will always be with you." She took her hand away and placed it over her heart, her face taking on a look of sorrow. "I know what it's like to lose people you care about. Growing up, only a handful of people looked out for me. There was an elderly couple who taught me how to take care of myself. They gave me food when I couldn't afford any, let me in when I was hurt and needed a shoulder to cry on. When they passed away… I thought I was lost…" she raised her head again, her smile returning. "But then I remembered something my mother left me in a note. I realized that they'd always be in my memories, even if they weren't here with me."

"And it was thanks to you that he was himself at the end." Naruto added, causing her to turn on him. "You saved him from dying a monster. Don't forget, Arashi always believed in you. He wouldn't want you to dwell on him like this; he'd want you to be happy. You can still make him proud by living up to what he left behind. You still have the rest of your clan, right? He did what he did to bring your clan back into the light, if he were here right now, he'd tell you to do everything in your power to stand up for yourself and restore the Fuma clan, the right way this time. It's your turn to be there when they need you. Because if you don't, then you'll lose Arashi all over again."

Sasame continued to sob, but it was more subdued. She seemed to be somewhat calmed by their words.

After a few moments, she pushed away from Naruto, placing a hand to her heart as a somewhat regretful smile came to her face. '_They're right… He always believed in me… and now, it's up to me to fulfill his dream… but I'll always hold onto him, here in my heart._'

She was still crying, her heart still ached for the loss of her cousin, but she felt better now, like the world hadn't come to an end.

Kagero remained silent, still blaming herself for allowing Arashi to go through with it. She could have taken his place, or convinced him to walk away, but she'd been taken in by the snake Sannin's deception too.

A few minutes after that, the group had jumped off of the toad, Kagero and the unconscious Koto playing clan member needing to be carried, before the toad returned to its home and, after travelling for a bit, they decided to make camp as the trip to the Fuma clan's village would have taken them well into the night, not a good idea with Kagero as badly injured as she was.

One might ask why they didn't simply use the toad to travel there. The answer was simple: most summons didn't appreciate being used as transportation unless there were extenuating circumstances.

The brunette, who was revealed to actually have been named Kotohime, which probably inspired her to take up the instrument, eventually woke up after they treated Kagero's wounds. She was hostile, at first, until Kagero explained what had happened. She'd been horrified to learn of what became of Arashi and was dismayed to learn of what the Sannin had done in the past, quickly grasping that they'd likely been lied to.

It wasn't long after that that the green haired Fuma jonin spoke to the group for the first time as they sat around a camp fire, a stew cooking in a pot suspended over the blaze.

"I'm sorry… for what we put you through. You had nothing to do with our troubles, but still you were all dragged into the heart of the matter. You didn't even accomplish what you came here for."

Jiraiya shrugged. "It's all right, no harm was done to us. You're not the first to be taken in by that old snake's lies, and you probably won't be the last either."

She smiled back and nodded. "Thank you. Still, let me do what I can to make it up to you. I can tell you everything I know about Oto." Jiraiya's expression became curious at that, while Naruto's became slightly hopeful. "Though, I'm sorry to say my knowledge is limited."

"Can you tell us where Orochimaru might be keeping Sasuke?" The blond asked quickly, only to be disappointed when she shook her head. "Well, what about where exactly Oto is? I mean, the real Oto, not just another base, where's his headquarters?"

"… There isn't one."

"What?" Naruto questioned as all three of the Konoha ninja frowned at hearing this.

"Well, I'm afraid that there is no center of operations. Oto is made up of dozens of bases scattered throughout all the nations, each one set up for Orochimaru to use it as his main headquarters." She explained.

Jiraiya's frown deepened while Naruto's face twisted into a look of frustration. From the sound of it, Oto was constructed like a terrorist organization. That would make locating Orochimaru, and by extension Sasuke, extremely difficult.

It was something Jiraiya had taught him. Terrorist organizations were usually divided into different cells. Each cell would only be given information that that particular cell needed to know to perform its purpose and, except for the leadership, each member would know little more than what they need to know to accomplish their assigned task and some general information. This meant even if a subordinate was captured or a cell discovered, there was no risk of the other cells being exposed. The only way you'd get anywhere would be for a spy to infiltrate the organization, or if you captured a member of its leadership.

Testing his guess, he asked, "Let me guess, you don't know anything about the other bases, and you wouldn't expect anyone from the others to know either, right?"

She shook her head in response, clearly upset that she couldn't offer much help. "I know there's at least one other base in this country, but I don't know anything about it or where it might be."

Naruto's hands clenched at that. "Well do you know who would know something?" He asked, his tone showing his irritation.

"Aside from Orochimaru and Kabuto?" She replied before she looked into the fire, her expression somewhat apologetic. "The only others who would know the locations of multiple bases would be… the Sound ninja five." Naruto grit his teeth at that. "But as I'm sure you know, they were all-"

"Damn it!" Naruto hissed quietly, remembering those five ninja who'd helped Sasuke get to Oto. If only they'd captured one of them!

Then again, those four were all jonin level with their curse marks, and Kimimaro was easily one without his. They'd needed to fight with the intent to kill or they wouldn't have come out of those battles alive.

"What do you know about Orochimaru's movements? How often does he travel between bases?" Jiraiya pressed.

"Depending on his intentions and whether or not he believes someone's searching for him, he moves to another base on a bi-weekly or monthly basis. There's no warning before he arrives and he rarely tells his subordinates where he's headed, so it's impossible to know which base he'll travel to. He also always has Sasuke, and unless he's on a mission, Kabuto, nearby at all times." Silence followed this before she looked up. "He does have one weakness I know of."

That got everyone's attention, and everyone present looked at her. "What? What is it?" Naruto questioned, leaning forward in anticipation.

"... As you know, he plans on acquiring immortality by taking over the bodies of others and using them as a vessel. However, unless the body is strong enough, it will begin to corrode and degrade after he's inhabited it for too long. As the time for his transmigration approaches, he'll begin to grow weaker and weaker, and he will be plagued by constant, agonizing pain. However, when this happens, Kabuto will serve as his personal medic and be at his side at all times."

Jiraiya sat back, raising a hand to his face and scratching his chin in thought, "So… old snake face will be at his weakest right before he tries to take over Sasuke's body. He probably won't do much travelling then either. Do you know when exactly it'll reach this point?"

The green haired fuma jonin shook her head. "It depends on how strong the body he currently inhabits is. It would certainly be during the last few months before he uses his reincarnation jutsu."

"I see…" Jiraiya nodded in response as he sat back and crossed his arms, filing away that little tidbit of information.

They spoke at length about what the three Fuma knew of how Oto worked, but they didn't have much more useful information. Unfortunately, most of their knowledge was limited to Orochimaru's operations in the Land of Rice Fields, and that had been his only base. They apparently never took missions like other villages, with the exception of those from the Daimyo and assassinations. The village existed solely to serve as Orochimaru's private military and personal laboratory and aside from money from the countries lord, it was funded through illegal activities, such as selling those who the rogue Sannin didn't believe would make good test subjects to the slave trade, cashing in on the bounties of shinobi whose abilities he found commonplace, or agreements with rather unsavory individuals in places of power. Apparently, Orochimaru had hoped to make a deal with Gato, but had never gotten a chance, and Naruto felt some small sense of satisfaction at being partially responsible for that alliance never coming to be.

"Well, looks like the grub's ready." Jiraiya commented as he looked into the steaming broth over the cracking fire, reaching into his pack and pulling out several bowls. The conversation died off as the group enjoyed their meal, which was all the same as Kagero apparently had no more useful information to give.

* * *

Hours later, night had fallen. The sky was a sea of black filled with sparkling diamonds as the pale light of the moon blanketed the land.

Sitting in the red glow of the campfire was Naruto, the sole person remaining in its light, his face a mask of contemplation.

After Kagero had finished giving them all the information she could on Oto, he'd pretty much clamped up, only speaking when spoken to. The trio of Fuma kunoichi had turned in for the night, Jiraiya had left to do who knows what and Fuu had gone for a moonlit walk, leaving the blond alone.

With nothing else for his mind to dwell upon, his thoughts returned to Sasuke, and the parallel between the situation with him and Arashi.

He knew that, even if he did bring Sasuke back, things would never be the same. Even if he was willing to trust him again, a lot of the village would just see him as a traitor unless he earned their respect back. Question was, would he want their respect back? Would he care what they thought of him?

When he fought him at the Valley of the End, he hadn't seemed to care about anything but getting his revenge, to such a point he was willing to give his own body and soul to Orochimaru if it meant achieving it. If they managed to bring him back, what was to stop him from trying to leave again?

On top of that, he knew now the only reason the rogue Uchiha wasn't marked a missing nin was because Tsunade was being lenient. Despite the fact that they got off on a rocky start, she was like the grandmother he never had. She was protecting Sasuke for him, Sakura, and their friends, but how long would she be able to keep that up? How long until he did something that forced her hand?

Just then, he heard a rustling nearby. He turned his head to see Fuu, pushing aside the leaves of a bush with her right hand as she stepped into the clearing.

"I figured you'd still be up." The mint haired kunoichi said as she joined him by the campfire. "Ryo for your thoughts?" She asked as she sat beside him.

He seemed slightly surprised by that and she chuckled a little. "Come on, you weren't exactly subtle about it. Anyone can tell you've got a lot on your mind right now."

Naruto gave her one of his bright smiles. He wasn't one to push his burdens on others. One of the few times he had that he could think of was when he admitted to Hinata he wasn't confident about his then upcoming fight with Neji, but that had been because she was involved and it was her cousin he was dealing with.

"Oh, don't worry about it. It's nothing, I was just thinking about how today turned out, that's all."

He turned back to the campfire as Fuu's face shifted to a look of concern. "Naruto." He raised his head to look at her again. "I understand if you want to keep it to yourself but… you don't have to hide your troubles from me. You told me you'd always be there for me… well, it works both ways. I'm here for you if you need anything."

Naruto didn't respond at first, instead he turned to the camp fire, his expression unreadable. After a few moments, he spoke up.

"I wasn't lying, you know. I really was thinking about what we went through." He finally answered. "But… well, it just got me thinking."

"What about?"

Naruto's brow furrowed as he stared into the flame before him.

"Sasuke." He replied before closing his eyes and letting out a sigh. He raised his head, looking into the stars above. "The whole situation with Arashi was a bit too close for comfort to my problems with Sasuke. When I fought him at the Valley of the End… that wasn't the Sasuke I knew anymore. We did everything we could back there… but in the end, even if we saved Arashi, we couldn't bring him back to Sasame." He turned to her. "You know, back when we started on this trip, the Pervy Sage told me I should forget about Sasuke because he was just like Orochimaru. I didn't care about what he had to say then, but now…" He trailed off, his expression troubled.

Fuu was silent for a moment, closing her eyes in thought, before opening them. "You want to know what I think?" He looked at her, interest in her opinion clear on his features. "…I have to tell you, I agree with Ero-sensei. You should just forget about him." Naruto seemed surprised at that. "It sounds to me like you and your friends are chasing a memory."

Naruto slumped forward at that. This was the second person to tell him that. He then looked at her with a deep frown. "Didn't you tell me before that if anyone could bring him back it was me? That you'd do the same if you were in my shoes? I told you I never go back on my word, how can I just abandon him when I promised Sakura?"

The Nanabi Jinchuriki sighed in response showing him a somber look. "You should be more careful with your promises, Naruto. I don't think you can pull this one off."

Naruto scoffed before averting his gaze. "It didn't take you long to change your mind about this. What's changed?"

"Of course I did, you didn't tell me that he ran you through with his Chidori before!" Fuu pressed, making the Kyuubi Jinchuriki wince.

The white clad kunoichi had meant what she said to him back when they first discussed the wayward genin. If anyone she cared about was in danger, she'd do anything in her power to save them. If someone she considered a brother made a stupid decision and tried to throw his own life away, she'd go to just about any length to bring him back. She truly did hope that Naruto would be able to bring back his brother figure.

But her opinion had changed somewhat after, when discussing his regenerative powers, he let slip about Sasuke using Chidori on him, piercing his chest. If he weren't the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi, and Sasuke had no way of knowing he was or what that would entail, that would have certainly been a fatal injury.

That was where she drew the line. If someone she cared about made stupid decisions and left their village, she could forgive them. Even how Sasuke had disregarded the lives of their team, she could overlook, as he didn't know what their fate was and hadn't been directly responsible, not like he ordered it or did it with his own hands, provided none of them actually died. She'd keep an eye on him, but she'd be confident he could be returned to his old self.

But what Sasuke had done crossed the line as far as she was concerned. If a person fell so far that they were willing to kill someone that had been a friend just for their own selfish desires, then that person wasn't a comrade anymore. In her mind, he needed to be taken down before he caused anymore harm or wound up Orochimaru's vessel, and she'd personally like to give him the beating of a lifetime for what he put Naruto through.

"Naruto," She began softly, giving the blond a sympathy look. "I know how much he meant to you and Sakura, but you can't just keep thinking of him as you used to. You have to remember what he did and what he's capable of. What he did to you with his Chidori…most people would have died from that, and if he did that to you, what makes you think he wouldn't do it to any of your other comrades, like those guys on that team; Neji, Shikamaru, Choji and Kiba? What if Sakura had been able to fight back and he used it on her?"

Naruto's head jerked in her direction and his eyes went wide with shock, having never thought of that.

Once upon a time, he would never have considered that fact because he was simply too dense to do so. He would refuse to think of such a prospect because of a combination of hope and naivety.

He wasn't that kid anymore, but he still didn't think of it, not because he was too naïve, but because it was too horrible a prospect for him to think of. The thought that the teen he considered a brother could kill one of their comrades was anathema to him, to such a point that he'd refused to think of the prospect.

He tried not to think about it, tried to pretend it wasn't possible, but after what he did to him, after everything they'd been through… he couldn't deny it was possible, and now he was being forced to face it.

Seeing him deflate at that, Fuu continued, "Naruto… a comrade, a friend, wouldn't do what he did to you, no matter what they wanted. And unlike Arashi, he wasn't driven insane by some twisted jutsu. He chose this path, decided he cared more about avenging his family than he did for any of the bonds he'd made. It's not easy to help someone who doesn't want to be helped."

There was a pause as Naruto contemplated her words before he gave the mint haired Jinchuriki a curious look and asked, "If that's what you think, then why'd you say you'd help me bring him back?"

Fuu gave a short giggle at that and smiled at him. "Because I will, dummy." Seeing him blink in confusion, she elaborated. "Naruto, I said that I don't think Sasuke can be saved, and after he nearly killed you I don't think he deserves it, but he's not _my_ friend. He's yours." She placed her hand on his shoulder. "I told you before, I'm here for you. No matter what I think, I'll support you. If you still want to save Sasuke, I'll do everything I can to help you do it, not for him, for _you_."

Naruto gave her a truly grateful smile at hearing that she'd stand by him, even though it was against her own beliefs. It really drove home that she'd stand by him no matter what they were up against. His heart, which had been weighed down as he thought of his failure to rescue Sasuke and the fear that he wouldn't be able to now, suddenly felt so much lighter.

When he smiled back, Fuu took her hand away and said, "Just think about what Ero-sensei and I told you, alright?"

After a moment, he nodded. "All right." Naruto replied. He had some thinking to do. He wasn't about to just give up on his best friend, but he had to think about just how far he was willing to let him go. At what point would he just have to accept that the Uchiha heir was too far gone?

"Well, what do you know? You might have actually gotten through to the brat." Their sensei's voice cut through the clearing.

"Yo." The Sannin greeted.

"Oh, hey Ero-sensei." Fuu replied.

"How long have you been there, Pervy Sage?" Naruto asked, causing the man to sigh in exasperation as he buried his hand in his spiky hair and shook his head.

"… I'm going to be stuck with those names aren't I?" He asked.

Fuu grinned cheekily at the man. "Yep! And you've got no one to blame but yourself."

Sighing again, the Sannin turned to his blond student. "To answer your question, I heard pretty much the whole thing." He tilted his head to the side, a smirk spreading across his features. "Funny how you were so quick to take her advice but wouldn't listen when I said the same thing. Can't resist the words of a pretty girl, huh kid? Trying to get her to let her guard down so you can sweep her off her feet?"

Naruto's face flushed while Fuu threw him a grin. "Wow, I didn't know you felt that way." She teased the blond.

"H- hang on a minute, it's not like that!" The boy sputtered, waving his arms before him frantically, causing Jiraiya and Fuu to laugh.

"Seriously though," The toad sage began after a few moments of enjoying his student's reaction. "I gotta tell you, I'm glad you started to consider my advice." He turned to Fuu, jerking his head in the blond's direction. "You know, right before we left I told him that only a fool would continue to pursue Sasuke after what he did. You know what he said?" Jiraiya looked back at her, imitating the Kyuubi Jinchuriki's resolute look. "If that's what it means to be wise, then I'd rather stay a fool'." He chuckled. "You can't help but admire that determination."

Naruto looked away, scratching his cheek bashfully as the mint haired girl turned to the blond and smiled. "Now that sounds like the Naruto I know."

Jiraiya chuckled and shook his head. "Honestly, I'm rooting for you kid, even if I don't think there's much hope." His expression shifted to a serious one as he crossed his arms. "But, you need to be prepared to face reality if need be. I've seen just how bad ninja in Sasuke's position can get. There's a good chance that nothing but pain lies down the path you've taken, but I've got to tell you, I'm proud of the choice you made."

The blond smiled slightly before his gaze became questioning as he stared at the white haired man. "You sound like you know what you're talking about. I mean, like you've been in my shoes before."

The Sannin let out a sigh at that. "Well, to be honest, I have." He crossed his arms. "Believe it or not, there was a time that Orochimaru and I were as close as you and Sasuke were."

Both the teens were visibly taken aback by his words before Naruto leaned forward, throwing his arm out in anger as he said, "Now wait just a minute, Sasuke's nothing like that monster!"

"Oh, no?" Jiraiya questioned, arching an eyebrow at his student. "He wasn't always the fiend he is today, you know. I can assure you, I know exactly how it feels to be in your shoes. Back when we were young, he, Tsunade and I were like family." With a fond smile, he looked up to the sky as he remembered the bygone days when they were a team. "We didn't always see eye to eye, but the three of us were close."

Naruto frowned at what he was hearing. He didn't really know all that much about his sensei's past. Looking to his fellow Jinchuriki, he saw that she too was interested in the topic. His blue eyes returning to his sensei, Naruto asked, "So… what exactly was it like, training under the old man, Pervy Sage?"

The Sannin chuckled, closing his eyes. "Well, I get the feeling you're more interested in the bonds we shared, but if you want to know, I'll tell you all about it." His coal colored orbs rose to the stars, briefly allowing nostalgia to wash over him as he thought of memories long buries in his mind. "Well, I can tell you it was certainly an ego booster, finding out who our sensei was going to be. Even back then, he was renowned as one of the strongest shinobi of his era." He let out another chuckle before looking at the Kyuubi Jinchuriki. "Actually, funnily enough, we were originally a previous generation of Team Seven," Naruto's eyes widened in shock at that as Jiraiya shook his head. "You know, there's a rumor going around Konoha that Team Seven is cursed, that it's doomed to suffer tragedy and the number should be permanently retired. I never put much stock in such superstition, but looking at how our team turned out… and your situation with Sasuke… Not to mention that Kakashi's team was also a Team Seven, and he wound up the only survivor… And they might just be onto something…"

Jiraiya's gaze wandered over his students, observing Naruto's troubled expression and Fuu's curious one. "Anyway, in the early days, we didn't really get along." A smirk spread across his face. "I remember the first time we went through the old bell test… wound up tied to a stump while Orochimaru and Tsunade walked off. Tsunade sure thought that was a riot…"

Naruto sat up straight, blinking at what he'd just heard. "You too, huh Pervy Sage?"

Fuu raised her hand like a child trying to get her teacher's attention. "Sorry, non-Konoha native here. What's this bell test?"

"Ah, right, you wouldn't know about it." The Sannin replied. "It's a little test we have back in Konoha that leaders of four-man cells sometimes perform on their squads, usually as a final exam to see if academy students are ready to graduate. The team leader ties a pair of bells to their hip and the others are tasked with retrieving it. Fail, and you get tied to a post."

Fuu raised a mint colored brow and tilted her head to the side, her eyes narrowing. "… And how are a couple of kids who aren't even genin yet supposed to get one of these bells from a jonin?"

In Taki, the final exams were two challenges: a sparring match against the academy teacher followed by a survival exercise where one had to find a hidden document, guarded by chunin proctors. The nine hopefuls who did the best passed and became genin.

"The test isn't actually about getting the bells." Naruto answered, drawing her attention. "The idea is to put the team's needs ahead of your own and go after the bells together, even though you know that one of you will fail."

Fuu nodded in understanding but seemed a little confused. "If that's the case and you passed, why'd you get tied to a post?"

Naruto averted his gaze, his face clearly showing embarrassment as he scratched his cheek. Suddenly, he wished he hadn't said anything. "Well you see… Kakashi-sensei decided we needed a little extra incentive… so he told us not to eat breakfast that morning…"

Jiraiya smirked while Fuu snorted, giving him an amused look.

"And you actually listened?" The white clad kunoichi asked, stifling a giggle.

"Yeah, and it's not funny! We all fell for it!" Naruto snapped, crossing his arms. "Anyway, he brought lunch and said whoever doesn't get a bell gets to starve… and while he was dealing with Sasuke and Sakura, I decided, since it was pretty clear we weren't getting a bell, I might as well not go out on with an empty stomach."

Jiraiya let out a grunt of amusement. "And let me guess, you got caught and he tied you to the post as punishment."

Naruto scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, but it's not like any of us got a bell." The blond then explained how Kakashi gave them another chance and how he ultimately passed them before giving the Sannin a curious look. "What about you, Pervy Sage? How'd you wind up tied to a post?"

Now it was the perverted sage's turn to look embarrassed. "Well…" He said before letting out a chuckle. "When the old man gave us the test, we were already a team. Unlike when you had it as a graduation exam, we actually _were_ supposed to grab a bell."

Naruto's mouth grew into a shit eating grin as he commented, "So you were the odd man out?"

"Heh, yeah, so what? This was a long time ago. Hell, I was just a genin back then." Jiraiya responded, mildly surprising the two teens, who'd expected him to defend himself. With another sigh, he shook his head. "Sensei was always telling me how I should be more like Orochimaru. He was the golden boy of our time; that rare kind of genius that only comes along once in a generation." He said getting back on topic. "For the longest time, Sensei thought he was going to be the Fourth Hokage someday."

Naruto jerked in response to that, shock overcoming his features. "The old man was going to make Orochimaru Fourth Hokage!?" The phrase 'does not compute' would suit the boy's state of mind well. He couldn't imagine how the man who had twisted Sasuke and tried to destroy their village was once a candidate for the title of Hokage.

Fuu's orange eyes also went wide at that. While she'd never met the man, she knew enough of him to find that revelation jarring.

"Shocking isn't it? But you have to understand, he was an entirely different person back then." The toad sage said, smirking at their reactions before leaning back as he continued his story. "He was a bit of a loner back then. A quiet kid, never one for idle chit chat, but even back then he had a silver tongue when he actually decided to speak up, and he was almost unnervingly calm. Nothing ever seemed to shake him when we first became a team." His looked to the stars once again. "I think it's because he lost his parents when he was young. Took him a long time to get over it. Years later and he'd still visit their grave at least once a month."

Naruto, who was listening with rapt attention, tried to associate the boy Jiraiya was describing with the lunatic who seemed to love the sound of his own voice that he grew into, but he was having a hard time with it. It was so easy to just assume the man had always been a monster, his darker side hiding just below the surface, but from what his sensei was telling him now that was far from the truth.

That also brought back a feeling of uncertainty. Could the old perv actually be right about Orochimaru and Sasuke being alike? A quiet, seemingly perpetually calm loner who lost his family at a young age and kept everyone at a distance because of it? A genius praised by the village as a great ninja in the making? He was starting to see rather disturbing parallels between them.

"None of us really got along well at first… me and sensei really hit it off though." Jiraiya said with a chuckle. "Especially when I told him about my Transparency Escape Technique!" He closed his eyes and held his head up proudly. "A marvel of a jutsu. Sensei was positively enthralled with its many _uses_."

Naruto's jaw nearly hit the earth from shock before his expression shifted to one of fury. "You old bastard, you got the old man to join you on you're… wait a-" His expression changed to one of complete horror. "Oh my kami! Are you telling me the old man was as pervy as you!? Is this some sick joke!? Are all old men perverts!?"

Fuu threw the old man a suspicious stare. "… What's this Transparency Escape jutsu?"

Naruto threw the Sannin a heated glare as he answered, "It's a technique this old Perv made to make himself invisible so he can spy on women." However, afterwards, he blinked in realization before giving the man a thoughtful, but apprehensive look.

However, neither noticed this as Fuu, her orange eyes blazing with feminine fury shot to her feet, her hands clenched in anger. "You lousy pervert! I should have known it'd be something like that! And you have the nerve to brag about it, you really have no shame at all do you!?"

Jiraiya threw his head back and let out a raucous laugh. "Did it take you 'till now to realize that?"

She pointed her index finger at him. "Listen here! If you ever use that technique to spy on me, I'll make you wish you never even dreamed of it!"

"Yeah, yeah." Jiraiya replied, waving her off, not the least bit intimidated. If Tsunade couldn't intimidate him, what chance did she have? Then he noticed Naruto's scrutinizing look and raised a brow in curiosity. "What's up with you, kid?"

"Pervy Sage…" The blond began, his eyes searching him as they narrowed into slits. "Are you… maybe… a masochist?"

"WHAT!?" Jiraiya cried as his eyes bulged. The Sannin gaped like a fish, his mouth opening and closing while only strangled sounds came out and his eyes reduced to pure white orbs.

Suddenly, the Sannin shot forward so quickly that even most trained eyes would only register a blur of motion and wacked the boy upside the head, causing him to grip his skull and let out a short cry. "What the hell brat!? How could you even think such a thing!? What's wrong with you!?"

"Well, hate to break it to you, but that's what it looks like!" Naruto said as he looked up at the man, still gripping his sore head. "I may not like your peeping, but I pay attention! You hide away in bushes and peep through holes while you've got a technique that makes you invisible that you made specifically for your 'research'! Anyone would think that you actually _wanted _to get caught!"

The Sannin's face turned red while Fuu bust out laughing. "Th- that's-!" Jiraiya began sputtering as his mind froze from the shock of the blond's logic, struggling to come up with some defense for his honor.

Fuu placed her left hand on her stomach, which began to ache from her uncontrollable laughter, while bending at the waist and pointing at the man with her right hand and said between her gasps for oxygen, "H- he's got you there, Ero-sensei! And it wouldn't surprise me if a pervert like you was into things like that!"

Jiraiya finally found his voice and wheeled on her. "Shut the hell up!" His head whipped back and forth as he looked from one to the other. "Listen here! This Jiraiya, this bastion of manliness, is _not _a masochist! I would never lower myself to such deviance!"

Naruto, amused by his sensei's reaction, chucked at the man and said, "Yeah, because being a giant pervert is something to be so proud of! Hey, maybe that's why you like Tsunade so much, because she can kick your ass so hard!" Jiraiya sputtered in response, causing Fuu to laugh harder as he futilely tried to defend himself.

It took about a quarter of a minute for Fuu to calm down. She wiped a tear from her eye as she placed a hand to her chest and got her breathing under control.

"Well, I hope you two enjoyed yourselves." Jiraiya grumbled. "I'm not in much of a sharing mood after that."

"Aw, come on, Pervy Sage, don't let us get you down." Naruto replied with an amused grin. "I'm sure you can get Tsunade to get you your fix when we get back to Konoha. Not like you don't know how to press her buttons." This sent Fuu into another fit of snickers.

"For the last time, I'm not a fucking masochist!" Jiraiya cried out in rage and mortification. Grumbling slightly, he sat back down. "Anyway… Tsunade and I would get into squabbles over the slightest things, and Orochimaru was always on his own… but when push came to shove, we could always rely on each other to have our backs. Over time, we stopped fighting so much, and Orochimaru gradually opened up. He was a little twisted. He had a ruthless and pragmatic view of life, along with something of a sadistic streak towards our enemies and that, along with his snake like appearance made many consider him creepy, but he valued his comrades. He was someone you could trust at your side. Kind of like your team, we went on lots of adventures, growing in fame and coming to understand each other more and more, and gradually, we became like family. And then came the Second Ninja World War, and the day we became known as the Legendary Sannin. We earned our titles from one of the toughest fights of our lives; our battle against Hanzo of the Salamander." He shook his head at the memory. "He faced us alone, and yet it soon became clear that we never stood a chance. We went into the battle with an entire division of shinobi behind us, and the three of us were the only ones to walk away… and even then, it's only because he decided to quit the field. If we'd continued, he'd probably have killed us."

Fuu looked at the man in astonishment before leaning forward, engrossed in his tale. "But… how could one guy take on all three of you, not to mention a whole division? I mean, aren't you three supposed to be some of the most amazing shinobi ever?"

Jiraiya chuckled at her words. "Well, you have to realize this was back during the Second Ninja World War. We hadn't exactly reached our full potential yet." He sighed as he returned to his story. "We survived that battle for one reason alone: our teamwork. We knew we could rely on each other to protect us, and we were in sync enough to counter Hanzo's superior abilities. He was so impressed that he basically ordered us to accept that title as a mark of honor for surviving against him, in return for sparing our lives. Heh, if we hadn't had complete trust in each other, I can tell you for sure I wouldn't be here today."

His expression became troubled as he recalled the events of that war. "Those were hard times. We lost a lot of good friends. Tsunade lost her younger brother and her lover. We did our best to comfort her after the losses, but she was never the same after that… I remember when her lover Dan died, Orochimaru shed tears for her pain."

Naruto's jaw dropped at that. Orochimaru… _cried_ for someone? That… if that was the case, he really had been an entirely different person back then. How had someone like that fallen so far?

His blue orbs fell to the ground as his brow furrowed. From the sound of it… they really had been like his team. If that was the case and the Sage actually did know what he was talking about… as there really a chance this mess with Sasuke could turn out the same way?

"… I'm sorry, run all that by me again." Fuu said, staring at the Sannin in disbelief. "I'm having a hard time picturing the guy you're describing becoming that… that egomaniacal monster."

Jiraiya let out a grunt and shook his head. "You'd be surprised how often you'd find that a monster of today was a decent person in yesteryear if you dig deep enough into their past. But back on topic, after the war, Orochimaru took on an apprentice, a girl by the name of Anko. For the longest time, she was like a daughter to him…"

"Wait, Anko?" Naruto broke out of his musings and blinked. "You mean that psycho exam proctor?"

Jiraiya nodded. "The very same." His gaze hardened. "But I think it was around that time that he began his fall from grace. It was shortly after he took on his apprentice that he joined ROOT."

"ROOT?" Naruto questioned.

"A dark, extreme and now defunct branch of our ANBU where you're taught to completely abandon your emotions. ROOT sometimes took jobs that are unsavory and less than respectable, even by Shinobi standards, as well as secret black ops assassinations for the village." Jiraiya rubbed his chin in thought. "To be honest, its existence is pretty much an open secret. I doubt there's a village leader that doesn't know of it, but even then they don't know what they're involved in." He made a dismissive gesture. "I'll tell you about it later. As I was saying, I think it was around that time Orochimaru began his fall. He grew apart from us again, became colder. He gradually shut out all his old friends and comrades aside from Anko. He announced one day that he wanted to be Hokage… but at that point, he just wanted the title for his own twisted agenda. We couldn't see what he'd become, but the old man could sense something was wrong, and passed him up for my student. It wasn't long after that that we learned of his experiments."

He sighed, running a hand through his white hair. "… Even after we saw what he'd done, we still thought of him as a brother, and the old man a son. I chased after him, tried to convince him to come back and change his ways, to be the friend he once was again… but every time he called me a fool." He shook his head. "Both sensei and I passed up chances to kill him, because we clung to the memory of what he'd once been and held out hope that there was still good in him. It took us years to finally accept… that he was already far beyond salvation… and now, look at all the damage and suffering he's caused, to our village and countless people outside of it, because we couldn't let go."

Silence rained as the two Jinchuriki took in what their sensei had told them. Naruto took on a look of deep contemplation as he reflected on the similarities between the Sannin's tale and his own. He could see now why Jiraiya had told him to forget about Sasuke.

He feared he'd make the same mistake he and his sensei did with Orochimaru.

As much as he didn't want to think about it… he knew he couldn't let that happen. He decided then that he'd do his best to save Sasuke. But… if there ever came such a time when he went to far… he wouldn't repeat his sensei's mistake. He felt Sasuke could still be saved now, but if he ever crossed that line… he wouldn't hesitate to put a stop to him.

Fuu couldn't imagine how much it must have hurt to realize that the man her sensei once thought of as a brother had become a monster he couldn't save. She turned her orange eyes to Naruto, wondering how he felt about it. She hoped he'd be ok, but felt it was for the best that he realize just how badly this could turn out. She was also somewhat glad that Jiraiya had been willing to share his past with them.

After a few moments, Naruto stood. "Thanks for the story." He said before turning away. "I think I'm gonna turn in for the night."

With that, he began to walk to his sleeping bag. Fuu moved to go to him, but Jiraiya stopped her with a shake of his head. She watched him walk over to his sleeping bag vanish out of sight.

"So…" Fuu began, her gaze returning to Jiraiya. "That's why you told him to forget Sasuke. It's not because you think he's beyond hope, but because you don't want him to go through what you did."

He nodded. "Yeah… realizing that Orochimaru was too far gone to help… it hurt like hell. But it was even worse when I realized how long he'd been that way, how much time I'd wasted… and what I'd let him get away with." He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "Even if he manages to do what I couldn't and save his friend… he's got a tough road ahead of him."

The Nanabi Jinchuriki thought about what the two had gone through before giving the Sannin a smirk. "Well, it's a good thing for him that he has us here to support him, huh Ero-sensei?"

"You can say that again." Jiraiya chuckled before a silence fell over the clearing. A few moments passed before the Sannin spoke up again. "Fuu?"

"Yeah?"

"I've got something I think you should know, so listen up. It's about your exile."

Fuu frowned, her expression instantly hardening at the topic. "Hmph, well, might as well hear it. What is it?"

Leaning back, the toad sage met her gaze and responded. "I've got a hunch… that this is the way Shibuki wanted things to turn out."

The white clan kunoichi's eyes widened from that before they narrowed in suspicion. "… Where would you get that idea?"

"Well, remember how Shibuki was considering giving you to Konoha? He and I talked at length about that… I thought that maybe, this was his way of giving you to us without the council's notice."

Fuu's expression twisted in anger, a hint of betrayal flashing in her orange orbs. "Is that the real reason you brought me along?"

"Whoa, hang on there." The Sannin replied, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. "I'm not the one who made the offer, am I?" He asked before his coal eyes looked to Naruto again. "I may have discussed it with Shibuki, but like I said, we never made any plans about it. And I never said a word about it to Naruto. Hell, he didn't even know Taki _had_ someone like you until we found out you ran away, and I never got a chance to discuss it with Tsunade, so I didn't bother mentioning it when I told her about all this." Her expression softened at his explanation and he met her gaze again. "Make no mistake Fuu, Naruto's decision to ask you to come with us came from the heart, don't ever doubt that."

Fuu closed her eyes, taking this in before opening her orange orbs and smiling. She never had any doubts about the blond's sincerity, but it was a nice thinking that Shibuki may not have really betrayed her. It was also nice that the Sannin was being truthful, rather than hide this from her. "Thanks for telling me."

The toad sage simply smirked back at her.

* * *

Though much of the base had collapsed, including, unfortunately, the lab and the prisoner cells, part of the Oto base in the Land of Rice Fields remained intact. Nevertheless, it was clear that it would never serve a purpose again. It just wasn't worth rebuilding at this point.

Deep within its ruins, several Oto shinobi wearing the standard attire for the village, seen most prominently during their failed invasion, lifted up one heavy slab of stone after another, sifting through the collapsed area for any trace of the base's most important experiment.

It was like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack, but neither was going to say so outloud. After all, it was well known that the snake Sannin appreciated complaints about as much as he did failure.

Finally, after hours of searching, one pair of searchers finally got lucky. Lifting another hunk of stone, one of the shinobi's eyes widened before one called over his shoulder, "Hey, boss man! I found what you were looking for!" With that, he overturned the stone and allowed it to fall over, crashing to the ground and kicking up a cloud of debris.

When it cleared, it revealed the object of their search, a disturbing, almost gelatinous pool of reddish brown, liquefied remains. Within it, a figure could be made out, a lock of gray hair.

Stepping out of the shadows and into the moonlight which shined down through the massive hole in the roof was Kabuto Yakushi. As he neared, he looked down at what remained the Arashi, pushing his glasses up with his index finger, the light reflecting off the lenses and concealing his eyes behind the resulting shine.

"Well, well. So this is where he wound up. Good work." The medic nin commented as he approached, sighing as he looked at the corpse. "Such a shame. And here we had such high hopes for you…"

He still found it amusing how easy it was to get the Fuma clan onto their side, but then again, the desperate were always the easiest to sway. This was an idea Orochimaru had had for quite some time and had been hoping that, once completed, this jutsu, when combined with his own talent and Sasuke's body, would be the key to obtaining the perfection he sought.

Ninja Art: Cadaver Puppets… it was a marvelous technique. Absorb any freshly killed corpse and not only did you gain access to your victim's biomass and chakra, though their networks would remain partially separate and their flesh semi-sentient, but also any abilities they had would become your own. If only the technique didn't have such side effects, mental instability being chief among them.

The technique was actually born from the results of the research of an old friend of Orochimaru's that the Sannin had managed to recover. It had been easy enough to find one of his abandoned labs as, amusingly enough, the man in question was also a former shinobi of Konoha. Kabuto chuckled in amusement at the thought; Konoha certainly went all out when it came to their missing nin.

How shocked Orochimaru had been to discover that the man had been performing research so in line with his own right under his nose around the time he'd begun his own experiments. If only they'd learned of each other's undertakings before the Third got wind of the other scientist's works…

It was actually a point of shame for them. While the two techniques shared the same concept, theirs was but a crass imitation in comparison.

The original jutsu would allow the user to absorb anyone, living or dead, as well as fuse together others or animals, creating powerful hybrids, hence its name; the Chimera Jutsu. Unlike Cadaver Puppets, the Chimera Jutsu had no real drawbacks. The absorbtion was complete and all chakra and special abilities or enhancements the absorbed individual had became your own. While it didn't allow the user to use the victim's biomass, it was superior in virtually every other way, and possibly because there was no remaining sentience in the consumed flesh, it had no ill effects on the user's mind.

He'd sought out the creator of the jutsu at the behest of his master, but sadly, even he had been unable to locate the man.

"Oh well…" Kabuto continued with a slight chuckle. "At the very least, he's provided wonderful research material."

* * *

The next day, the group made the journey to the village of the Fuma clan, starting at first light and arriving just past noon. It was a small, out of the way village that was surrounded at all sides by a deep forest made up of a combination of eastern and western architecture.

It had taken a while to explain the whole story and many in the clan were dismayed to discover that Orochimaru had been deceiving them all along and had used Arashi for something so horrible.

But they'd rallied together and decided not to give up. They'd still do everything in their power to restore the Fuma clan to its former glory, this time without the aid of a devil in disguise like the snake Sannin.

Once the explanations were over, the trio of Konoha shinobi was allowed to rest for a while in the village, while they sent out emissaries to search for the members of their clan they had cast out for refusing to serve Orochimaru. It was time for the Fuma clan to be whole once again.

And now, Naruto, Fuu, Jiraiya Sasame and Kagero stood just outside the small village, the two Fuma kunoichi bidding their farewells to the leaf shinobi.

Kagero's amethyst eyes swept across the trio as she said, "If you're ever in this country again and need a place to stay, know that you'll always be welcome. I don't think our clan can ever repay you enough for helping us escape Orochimaru's shackles."

"Don't worry; we'll be sure to stop by if we're ever in the neighborhood." Jiraiya replied.

"Take care of yourselves." Naruto said before turning to Sasame. "And remember to be strong, Sasame. It's up to you to be there for your clan, just like Arashi was always there for you."

"I know." The orange haired girl nodded before averting her gaze, her exoression showing uncertainty. "I have to say, I'm a little nervous. I want to live up to Arashi's faith in me and become someone my clan can depend on… but I'm not sure I'll be able to."

"I'm sure you'll do fine." Naruto reassured her. "You're a lot stronger than you think, Sasame. You could have just stayed here like the rest of your clan instead of trying to save Arashi and I know plenty of people who would have just given up after seeing what we did back there. All you have to do is remember to stand tall and never back down."

Fuu placed her hand on her hip and tipped her head forward, closing her eyes. "It's not that easy, Naruto. Not everyone's able to stand tall, no matter how hard the try." Naruto turned to her, looking slightly surprised, while Sasame seemed to have expected her to say something like that. Before any of them could comment on it, the mint haired girl continued, "But…" She looked up with a smile. "I think she's up to it."

Both Naruto and Sasame looked surprised by that before Naruto grinned at Fuu's change in opinion.

The white clad kunoichi walked over to Sasame, holding out her hand. "Sorry about how I acted at first… and about how things turned out."

The Fuma genin blinked once, then twice before smiling and shaking Fuu's hand. "It's alright. You were right… I got in your way when I saw Arashi… I should have seen that the way he was we would have to fight him and I still…"

"Don't worry about it." Fuu cut her off, stepping away from her and clasping her hands behind her back. "I wouldn't expect any of what happened down there to be easy, and you came through in the end."

The toad Sannin smirked before looking to the sun. "Well, I think it's about time we head out. We've got a lot of travelling to do." He turned to the older Fuma kunoichi. "Look out for her and the rest of your family, now. It's your place as one of your clan's strongest ninja."

"I will." Kagero nodded back. "I won't let myself or our clan be led astray again."

And with that, the Konoha ninja departed, waving goodbyes to the two Fuma Clan, the two Jinchuriki looking back to them until they disappeared behind the foliage.

About half an hour later, they had made it out of the forest and were walking down a winding road that led through more rice terraces. Naruto and Fuu trailed behind their sensei, Naruto clasping his hands behind his head and staring at the hills while Fuu looked to the the sky, engrossed in discussing their recent adventure.

"See, I told you. Sometimes, you just need to give people a chance." Naruto said, craning his neck to look at his fellow Jinchuriki.

"Well, I guess you were right, this time." Fuu replied with a slight smirk. "I have to admit, it did feel good, helping them." Because of how she'd lived her life, she hadn't done much for other people, mainly because her help wasn't wanted or appreciated, but she had to admit it was a nice feeling. Naruto gave her a bright grin and chuckled slightly at that.

Fuu turned her head just enough to look at him out of the corner of her eye.

"You know, now that I think about it…" She began before her gaze returned to the sky, this time in mock thought. "I've said thanks to you a lot, but I never did thank you for saving my life, or offering me a new home." It was true, she'd largely shut down after she'd finished crying her heart out, and even though she'd thanked him after their battle with the Akatsuki, that had been for giving her hope, not for saving her.

Naruto blinked before his grin widened, causing his eyes to close in a fox-like manner, "Oh, don't worry about it, Fuu. You-"

He was then cut off, stopping in his tracks when he felt something warm and soft touch his cheek. He opened his eyes, which went wide with surprise, to see Fuu's face mere centimeters from his, her eyes closed as she gave him a kiss.

The blond felt warmth flood his cheeks as his face flushed red. All he could do was stare in shock as Fuu pulled away, her hands clasped behind her back and own cheeks carrying a slight red tinge as well.

Fuu gave a mischievous smirk at his dumbfounded expression. She took a few steps backwards, keeping her eyes on his shocked face before spinning on her heel and running after their sensei.

"Come on! No time to dilly dally, we're falling behind!" She called at him over her shoulder, laughter in her voice as she ran to catch up with their sensei.

Naruto blinked before his grin returned and he took off after the two.

* * *

**And so ends another arc. I wish I could have come up with a different ending for the battle, but nothing seemed as satisfying as this.**

**I wonder how many of you know where the quote used in this chapter came from.**

**Anyway, please review.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Here's the next chapter of Legends of Two Jinchuriki. Hope you enjoy it. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Naruto laid on his back on the smooth face of a rock, one leg crossed over the other and his head resting on his hands as he watched the marshmallow islands float by on the blue canvas above, a small smile on his face as the tall grass swayed in the gentle breeze. He had to admit, he was beginning to see why Shikamaru found this hobby so enjoyable. It was a nice way to unwind; lying down, basking in the sun's warmth as you watched the ever-changing clouds, at least now that he knew how to sit still. Of course, he would never be able to just sit around and spend all day doing this like the lazy Nara could.

Things had gone fairly smoothly over the past few weeks. They'd returned to their usual routine of travelling and training. After their adventure in the Land of Rice Fields, Jiraiya had felt they could stand to improve their stealth skills and had decided to add that to their usual training regiment, combining it with their physical conditioning.

Naruto had to suppress the urge to grimace. That had been grueling. The Sannin had set up an obstacle courses that twisted through the forest they'd dwelled in, filled with traps, both of the normal variety and trap seals which the two Jinchuriki had had to traverse while carrying buckets of water connected by a stick on both shoulders and wearing weights on their feet. The entire thing was watched over by Jiraiya and a few clones and, if they should ever let their presence be known or spill even a drop of water, the observer would give them a harsh and usually painful penalty. It didn't help that this was usually after their normal physical conditioning, which, after push ups, sit ups, etc, typically involved something to the effect of swimming against a current while tied to something large and porous, such as a large log, and followed intense sparring sessions, which meant that they were already tired. Still, neither had complained and the training did its purpose.

They'd made good progress until two days ago, when the Sannin felt it was time to move on… into the Land of Hot Water. It was a pretty nice country with a climate similar to the Land of Fire, known to have lots of natural hot springs… needless to say, the perverted sage had decided that they should take a break from training while he goes and does 'research', saying that they needed a rest from their constant training, lest they burn themselves out. The two Jinchuriki decided to meet him half way, relaxing while their clones trained for them.

Now that thought caused the blond's lips to curl back into an amused smile as he recalled how Fuu reacted to learning the Shadow Clone jutsu's secret.

* * *

"_So let me get this straight, you're telling me that everything those clones learn is transferred back to the user when they disperse, including new jutsu, skills they picked up, facts they learned from reading, everything, and the only drawback is the mental strain and the amount of chakra they take? Did I get that right?" Fuu asked in a perfect deadpan, ticking off the uses with her fingers, causing Naruto to nod._

_The mint haired girl's face immediately lit up with excitement, stars shining in her orange eyes so bright the blond almost felt as if he was staring into the sun as she brought her balled up hands before her chest in anticipation. "Are you kidding me!? Think of all the books I could read at the same time! Romance, Sci-fi, Action, Adventure, Fantasy. I could read every book I want to even when I'm on a mission!" She shot forward, her face inches away from his as her arms flailed excitedly. "I have to know, I have to know, you have to teach me!"_

* * *

He probably would have reacted the same way had he been told what he could do with the jutsu from the get go, though he'd have been more interested in all the amazing jutsu he could learn as opposed to what he could read.

And so, Naruto taught Fuu the Shadow Clone Jutsu, as well as its explosive variant, and she'd joined him in abusing the hell out of its information sharing ability. Unlike Naruto, however, while she had considered how to use the technique to train, she always devoted at least two clones to reading a book a day.

Today, he had asked her to meet him in that field for a surprise. She was quite anxious to find out what he was going to give her, but he'd enjoyed keeping her in the dark. He thought, with some amusement, that she'd probably be perplexed and underwhelmed with it at first, at least until she learned just what it was.

At that moment, he heard the rustling sound of someone moving through the grass and turned his head to the side to see the mint haired girl, running towards him.

"Naruto." She called to him as she neared him. She'd been wondering all day what it was he was going to give her. Maybe new cloths as a gift, or a new jutsu… or maybe he got snacks for them to share again, away from their perverted sensei and the people in the town… just the two of them…

… Why did that thought make her heart feel so warm all of a sudden?

Naruto sat up, coiled his body before springing forward, landing on his feet and turning to face the mint haired girl. "Hey, Fuu. Right on time."

The girl nodded as she came to a stop in front of the blond. Her mouth curving in a smirk, the mint haired Jinchuriki decided to tease him. "So, what is it you called me out here for?" Her expression took on a bashful air as she placed a hand on her cheek and looked away, keeping her coy smirk. "Did you want to get me all to yourself? Or were you were hoping to steal another kiss? Maybe Ero-sensei really did rub off on you…"

The blond genin's eyes widened as a he felt blood rush to his cheeks as Fuu chuckled. He shook his head rapidly before crying out, "Don't even joke about that, I'm nothing like that old perv!"

"Oh, really?" She asked, her coy smirk returning. "You sure about that?"

"Of course I am!"

"Then why are you blushing?" Naruto straightened at that, his expression taking on a look of shock. "You sure that deep down, that isn't exactly what you wanted?"

Naruto was suddenly reduced to a sputtering mess of denials as he struggled to come up with a reason for his body's betrayal as the mint haired kunoichi covered her mouth with her hand, trying to restrain her mirth before finally, she couldn't resist anymore and broke out in peels of laughter, causing him to give a frustrated growl.

"Relax, I was just kidding. Now seriously, what did you call me here for?" She asked as she calmed down.

Naruto took a breath, placing his hand on his forehead before turning back to his fellow Jinchuriki and saying, "Well… I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I decided I wanted to give you something really special to me."

The mint haired girl blinked. "Really?"

Naruto nodded, reaching into his vest. "Yeah, it's a jutsu that's really important, not just to me but to my village, and I want to teach it to you."

Fuu's expression lit up with anticipation at that. "What is it?"

Naruto unrolled the scroll and pulled it through the air, releasing the seal with his chakra as it passed by his hand, causing it to obscure his limb in a cloud of smoke. The female Jinchuriki's eyes eagerly trained on it, waiting to view its contents… only for all her enthusiasm to leave her as she slumped over when she saw it cleared to reveal… "… A water balloon?"

The white clad kunoichi stared blankly at the object the blond held as Naruto nodded; his eyes closed and a wide grin on his face. She met his gaze and gestured at the balloon. "… And what exactly are you going to teach me with these?"

"Glad you asked." The Uzumaki answered, cracking open a single ocean blue orb and taking in her expression with amusement. If only she knew what he was going to teach her! "This is a secret technique that relies purely on chakra manipulation. There are no hand signs or any other mediums involved." He said, holding the balloon out to her. "This is just the first step, learning how to rotate your chakra. All you have to do is break the balloon by spinning the water, and you've got it."

With that, he summoned another and demonstrated for her. With a smirk, he pushed his chakra into the water, causing the surface of the balloon to roil and churn before finally, it burst. He shook his hand twice to dry it, sending droplets of water to the ground.

Fuu gave him a skeptical glance before nodding, grinning as she said, "All right, piece of cake." She said, not seeing what she could get from this but accepting the balloon. Holding it up, her brow furrowed as she tried to do as he showed her. The side of the balloon extended as she guided the water with her chakra but it held firm. Her frown deepened as she cut her chakra and stared at the still intact balloon, having expected it to be an easy task. "What the…"

Naruto laughed, reminded of when he'd learned the technique himself. "Not as easy as it looks, is it?" He asked, clearly amused as she tried again. However, his expression shifted to one of shock when he saw the surface of the balloon begin to roil as the water churn within it. She'd already figured out the rotation.

He shook his head with a small smile as he recalled when he went through this training. It had taken him a whole day to figure out the trick behind it. Of course, he wasn't half as perceptive back then as he was now. He'd probably have realized it as quickly as she had.

Of course, figuring it out wasn't the same as actually doing it. While Fuu had figured out the secret, she couldn't seem to rotate the water in enough directions and quickly enough in order to actually pop the balloon. It was easy for Naruto because he used his other hand, but Fuu, apparently, was determined to do it the same way he had. But then, had she tried it, he'd have advised against it. His old method of forming the Rasengan was more time consuming and needed either a clone or, later, a both hands to form, which removed some of the technique's greatest strengths: the speed and ease with which it could be formed.

Her grip on the balloon tightened as she put more effort into manipulating the water, but to no avail. She poured more chakra into it, and called on her previous experience manipulating water, the basic exercise for learning to control water chakra, but all she succeeded in doing was speeding up the water slightly.

"Damn it… Come on… pop you stupid…"

Naruto continued to watch her for about a minute before he tilted his head to the side, giving her an amused grin as he said, "I'm going to head back to the town and look around. Want to come with?"

"No… I can get this…" The orange eyed Jinchuriki replied.

"Suit yourself." Naruto replied as he turned, placing his hands behind his head and walking off towards the town. There wasn't really any advice or help that he could give her for this step now that she figured out the trick behind it, so he didn't see any need to stick around. "Don't give up. You'll get it sooner or later."

* * *

The next morning, as the first golden rays of the sun filtered through the window and cast their light on him, Naruto stirred in his futon, turning away from its radiance which stung his still tired eyes, mumbling in his sleep as he tried to eek out just a few more minutes of peaceful slumber before facing the new day.

Finally, he rolled onto his back and slowly opened one blue orb, his vision slightly blurred and his mind slow to fully awaken as he fought off the lingering drowsiness. He sat up, rubbing his still closed eye before stretching as he let out a yawn.

His eyes scanned the room. It was a fairly ordinary hotel room with wooden floors and a balcony. On the other side of the room, his perverted sensei lay sprawled out on his own futon.

Standing, he walked over and slid open the door to the hotel's balcony, briefly shielding his eyes from the morning light as he stepped outside to greet the new day. Stretching one last time, his bones in his arms and back popping as he did so, light returned to his ocean blue eyes as he finally shook off the remaining sluggishness and his mouth spread into a grin. He rested his elbows on the railing as he looked out at the sky.

* * *

An hour later, the blond walked back to the field. He'd seen Fuu heading that way shortly after he'd gotten himself up. Apparently, even if she didn't know what he was trying to teach her, she was either determined to get it right, or trusted him enough to continue trying.

When he arrived, however, he blinked when he heard the girl let out a cry of joy. She then turned to face him, a bright smile playing across her features.

"Naruto, look! I got it!" the orange eyed girl said as she summoned another balloon and ran to meet him. Holding it out between them, she began channeling her chakra.

The Uzumaki watched as the surface of the balloon roiled before it popped. He smiled as she pumped her fist in victory.

"Told you. It was easy once I got the hang of it." She said with a smirk.

The Kyuubi Jinchuriki nodded as he replied, "Great. You got it pretty quick. Now, are you ready for the next step?"

When she gave an affirmative, he reached into his vest and pulled out another scroll. He knew she'd probably get this one quickly too. Like the first step, the main issue with this one was how much control and focus it took to concentrate enough chakra into one's palm. This was easy for Jinchuriki like them, who had chakra in abundance. His issue with this step had been his lack of focus.

Opening the scroll with a poof of smoke, Naruto produced a pair of rubber ball and threw one to his fellow Jinchuriki, who caught it with her right hand. She furrowed her brow as she stared at it. "Ok then, try this on for size. Just do exactly what you did before and pop the ball, and I don't mean just let the air out."

With that, he held up his ball and channeled his chakra into it, causing it to pop like an overinflated balloon in the blink of an eye, scattering wisps of chakra from his hand.

Fuu tilted her head, her face a mask of curiosity with a hint of doubt. Before she could ask him again, wanting to surprise her, he raised his hands in a placating gesture and said, "Just trust me. You won't regret it."

She nodded and turned to the ball in her hand, concentrating. The ball expanded, before finally it popped, but the results were less than spectacular. A small hole opened in the side and let the air out, deflating the object.

Naruto crossed his arms, smirking as he watched as the Nanabi Jinchuriki summoned another ball and repeated the process, with the same result. Five minutes of failed effort later, the green haired girl growled slightly as she placed her other hand on top of the ball, forcing more chakra into it. Its sides bulged out more, but the result was still the same. Calling another to her hand, she growled out, "Not again…" when once more the result was the same.

Naruto, now sitting on the ground, leaning against the nearby boulder with his head tilted to the sky, turned one ocean blue eye to her and asked, "Having trouble there, Fuu?"

"No… I can get it…" Fuu replied. Though she still wasn't sure exactly what this would get her, she was now determined not to fail at this seemingly easy task.

"Sure you don't want any help?"

"No, I've got this. You'll see, I'll figure it out in no time." She replied, not taking her eyes off of the object of her frustrations.

Naruto shrugged at her response and stood, briefly dusting himself off before walking off, waving over his shoulder. "All right. Come find me if you get it."

And with that, he made his way back to the town, leaving Fuu alone in the field.

* * *

It was three hours later that the blond returned to check up on the green haired Jinchuriki. After getting himself a few bowls of the heavenly dish that was ramen, the young Uzumaki had explored the town a bit and decided to step into the local gambling parlor and played a little han-cho. The venture had turned out surprisingly well. In fact, he'd been accused of using his ninjutsu to cheat somehow, which he hadn't. Still, he decided to leave, seeing as he'd overstayed his welcome, and walked away 18,000 Ryo richer.

The midday sun shined down as Naruto walked back into the field to find the green haired girl had created four clones of herself, all of whom were trying, and failing, to cause the balloon to burst as he did.

"DAMN IT! HOW CAN THIS BE SO HARD!?" The one the blond Uzumaki assumed was the real Fuu yelled as she threw another threw another popped ball at the ground, crossing her arms and puffing out her cheeks. "What the hell am I supposed to get out of this anyway? It's not even really helping with my control! This seems like a complete waste of time."

"I wouldn't say that." Naruto said, slightly startling her and causing her to whip her head around to look at him as he closed the distance between them. Her clones all vanished in bursts of smoke, giving her their experience, or lack thereof, as he neared. "Pretty tough, huh? Unlike with the last step, there's nothing but air in the ball, so you have to rely completely on your chakra, and the surface is a lot thicker than the balloon's. It's on a different level than the last step."

Fuu didn't change her stance as she regarded him. It was clear from her posture that she was irritated, both at what she viewed as a pointless exercise and her failure to do something that seemed so easy. "I still don't see what you're trying to teach me."

He shook his head in response. "You wouldn't think that if you knew what you'll get out of this."

"Then why don't you tell me."

He gave her a mischievous smirk as he replied, "Uh-uh. That's a secret, Fuu. You'll just have to wait." He had to suppress a chuckle when she gave an irritated squeal. His mouth widened into a smile as he decided it was about time to help her out. "Don't let yourself get frustrated. Trust me; you won't get anywhere like that. Look, you're making great progress; better than I did. It took me a whole day to get through the first step too, but I had to use both hands!"

Fuu uncrossed her arms and seemed a little reassured at that. "Really?"

The Kyuubi Jinchuriki nodded. "Yeah, but don't do what I did. Look, rather than continuously pumping your chakra into the ball, focus it. Draw up as much as you can and let it pool. Imagine it gathering together in the center of your hand then let it loose and send it spiraling out from center and I guarantee you'll get a better result."

The mint haired Jinchuriki considered his suggestion before nodding, reaching down to the scroll on the ground and summoning another ball. She held it in front of her and closed her eyes, doing as the blond told her. She could feel her chakra building up in her hand and imagined it pooling like water behind a dam. Once she felt it was enough, her orange orbs shot open as she pushed all of it into the ball and sent it spiraling as she had during the first test.

The result was instantaneous. The ball exploded violently, sending displaced aid and blue wisps of energy throughout the field, the intensity leaving her hand tingling and aching slightly.

Fuu looked at her palm, shocked by how easy it really had been, before turning to the orange loving genin with a bright smile. "I got it! Wow, I can't believe how simple that was."

Naruto gave her a fox like grin, causing his eyes to squint close. "See, I told you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out another scroll. "Now, this is the last step. Get ready, because this one's going to be tough." With that, in one swift motion, he whipped open the scroll, ran his hand along it, and summoned a filled air balloon. He stepped up to her and handed it to her. "The last stage is all about compression. You have to put the same power and rotation into it as the last two steps, but hold it in the shape of a ball. If you can pull it off without popping the balloon, you've got it."

Fuu blinked, her mind quickly working out just what he was teaching her, before her eyes shot wide open. "Naruto… you're teaching me the Rasengan!?"

"So, you finally worked it out." Naruto commented with a grin. "That's right, it was the second technique the Pervy Sage taught me. Just so you know how special it is, it was created by our Fourth Hokage and it was one of his signature jutsu."

Fuu's face became a mask of excitement, surprised and elated that he'd teach her a technique of such historical value to his village, no their village, as she shot forward and wrapped her arms around her fellow Jinchuriki. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise I won't disappoint you!" Idly, she wondered why her heart began to speed up and her cheeks warmed slightly when he returned her embrace and she felt his strong arms encircle her.

Naruto froze, his eyes widening as Fu pressed herself against him. Maybe it was because this was the first hug he had ever received, at least from a girl who was not crying her eyes out, but in that moment, Naruto had an epiphany.

He had discovered boobs.

Sure, they weren't all that developed yet. Just two small lumps of flesh that were probably no larger than grapefruits, but that hardly mattered. He was at that age where he was starting to notice girls. And as much as he loved Sakura, that did not mean he didn't notice when a girl was attractive.

Or when she had boobs.

Sakura did not have boobs.

He quickly all these thoughts off, deciding they were irrelevant and that it was wrong to feel like this about a friend (and to betray Sakura by thinking about someone else). and simply did what any good friend would do by returning the hug. With a laugh, he replied, "Don't mention it, Fuu."

* * *

The sky was painted a dark blue, the horizon tinted rose, as the sun dipped beyond its boundaries when the two Jinchuriki returned to their apartment. The moon was already visible in the darkened skies and soon, the stars would shine their light on the world.

The pair found Jiraiya waiting for them, leaning against the entrance with his arms crossed as he stared down at the two teens.

"Well…" The Sannin began with a smirk. "Looks like you two had a fun day." His eyes, practically shining with amusement, turned to Naruto. "So tell me, how was spending the whole day with just you and a pretty girl for the first time in your life? Do anything _special_ with her?"

Naruto was about to retort when his blue orbs shot open, his mouth clamping shut as his cheeks reddened slightly. His mind suddenly returned to their earlier embrace and what he felt when she unknowingly pressed against him. Jiraiya arched a brow, his mouth widening to a grin. "Oh, what's this?" He teased. "Well well, looks like you _did_ do something memorable. Come on kid, spill it."

Fuu looked at the blond curiously before shrugging, rubbing the back of her head as she tried to think of what could have brought about that reaction. "I don't know what he's thinking about, all I did was hug him."

Jiraiya laughed at that. "Oh, that's cute. You can't even hug a girl without blushing like a schoolgirl?" He shook his head. "Oh, kid. How are you going to get anywhere in life?"

The blond's eye twitched before he pointed at the Sannin. "Hey, shut up! At least I can spend time with a girl who likes me for who I am and not for my wallet, you old perv!"

The Nanabi Jinchuriki chuckled while Jiraiya's face twisted with annoyance. "He's got you there, Ero-sensei."

"Ha, shows what you know." Jiraiya replied, regaining a confident smile as he pointed to himself with his thumb. "When you've become a man of my stature, the women throw themselves before your awesomeness!"

"Yeah, because they've all just been lining up to spend time with you since I joined you. I'm amazed you have the time to do anything with all the girls flocking to you." Fuu quipped, rolling her eyes.

Now Jiraiya's eye twitched before he turned his head away. "Hmph. Whatever. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you to get ready. We're leaving bright and early tomorrow."

"What for? Did Grandma Tsunade send us a new mission?" Naruto questioned.

"That… is a secret." Jiraiya replied, amused when his student's gave an annoyed response. "Just know that we're heading out tomorrow, so pack your things and get a good night rest."

* * *

The trio of two Jinchuriki and their perverted sensei walked up a dirt path, nearing the top of a large hill. In any direction you look, you'd see large planes of short grass that seemed to stretch on forever. Jiraiya walked in front of the group, the blond to his left and the orange eyed girl to his right.

Naruto placed his hands behind his head as he looked out at the field, wondering, not for the first time, where the Sannin was taking them. Fortunately, he didn't have long to wait as the Sannin reached the top and turned to face them.

"All right, you two, we're here. Get ready to feast your eyes on this." He said, gesturing ahead of them. When they reached they could finally see beyond the hill's crest, their eyes widened. Fuu shot forward, her lips spreading into a wide smile as her eyes practically glowed with excitement. While Naruto was more restrained, having seen this before, his face was a mask of anticipation as he ran to join her at the edge of the hilltop. After all, this was so much grander than the last time he'd been to such a place.

Before them was a large port city, obviously one of the major ones of the country. The buildings were mainly a combination of western and eastern style, with several large shrines dotting the town and a large castle near the outer wall that encircled it on the opposite side from where they stood. A large river snaked through the village and led out to the sea.

However, what drew their attention were the colorful, red stalls that framed the main street that curt through city and the currently unlit red, blue and gold lanterns that were hung on wires that crisscrossed above the lanes, promising to paint the area in colorful light as soon as night fell. People were bustling and dancing about, some avenues seeming full to capacity, as everyone went about having fun. You could see scattered throughout the crowded roads several floats and miniature shrines being carried down the streets. Lantern lit boats could be seen travelling up and down the river.

"A festival!?" Fuu exclaimed, her hands clasped together in front of her chest. "Wow, I've never been to a festival before!" She'd seen a few at her village, but she'd never been welcome at any of them. The same went for Naruto, though he'd had the good fortune that one of the towns they'd travelled through during his and the Toad Sannin's search for Tsunade had been in the midst of one.

Jiraiya chuckled. "Well, today's you're lucky day. Tomorrow, we'll begin training in earnest once again, so today I want you two to enjoy yourselves to the fullest. Now go on and have a good time!"

If possible, the teens' expressions brightened even further before they both shot off towards the town. "All right! See you later, Pervy Sage!"

The toad sage simply shook his head in amusement as he watched their retreating figures.

As they crossed through the gate and stepped into the village, the blond's eyes searched the streets, looking at all the stalls, memories of the first and only other festival he'd ever seen flashing through his mind, trying to decide what to try first. Looking to his side, he saw Fuu was even more excited than he was.

As the pair ran down the street, taking in all the sights and trying to find what they wanted to do first, the green haired girl couldn't help but relish how the no one was giving her a dirty look. There was no feeling of hostility or menace in the air, no whispering behind her back, she was just another face in the crowd as far as everyone was concerned.

This was the first time she'd ever been to an event such as this, not to mention the first time she'd ever been to such a gathering where no one would glare at her. Here, she was just another young teenage girl enjoying the festival. She soaked it all in, enjoying being part of the festivities for the first time in her life.

As they ran through the street, the orange eyed girl took in all the bright colors and laughter that surrounded her. She was so eager that she had no idea where to begin. There was so much she wanted to do that it felt like there just weren't enough hours in the day. All she knew was that she wished that what she was feeling now; being amidst and sharing in all this joy alongside her fellow Jinchuriki, would last forever.

Most of the people wore kimonos but there were some kids playing shinobi dressed up in replicas of generic flak jackets or ANBU clothing as well, brandishing fake knives and such. Some wore masks while others wore costumes of their favorite characters from books, movies or manga. Naruto chuckled as he watched a woman dressed as Princess Gale, waving her blade while a boy who was obviously her child cheered, walked by.

The pair stopped when they reached a plaza built around a small tower like structure. Dozens of wires holding more multicolored lanterns crisscrossed off the tower and linked it to all the surrounding buildings. Naruto's eyes wandered the area, unable to help but wonder what it would look like tonight when the lights came on.

His eyes wandered the area, wondering what he should try first. There were so many stands with fun looking games and tasty looking snacks… nah, they should hold off on the food.

Before he could decide, his eyes were drawn to a group of people, kids and adults, dancing as a man expertly played a flute. Not really something he wanted to try himself, but still fun to watch.

"Hey Naruto, check it out." Fuu called out, drawing the blond's attention. He looked at her as she pointed to a nearby stall that hosted a goldfish scooping game. "Bet I can catch more than you!"

Grinning back at her, the blond replied, "You're on!" And with that, both ran towards the game.

In the end, Naruto won five to four to the mint haired girl's chagrin, but it was all in good fun.

As they stepped away from the stand, the blond pumped his fist in victory as the white clad kunoichi pouted and turned her head away before something caught Naruto's eye. There was quite a commotion coming from one of the side streets and the sounds of loud cheering and various instruments echoed from that direction. He reached over and tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to turn back to him before pointing in the direction of the noise.

"Hey, Fuu. I think they've got a parade going on over there. Want to check it out?" He asked and she nodded in response.

"Sure. And we can get the best seats in the house." He grinned slightly in response before both vanished in a blur of motion, reappearing on the rooftops. They moved from building to building until they found themselves a bird's eye view of the parade and sat down to watch.

People stood at the side of the streets as flag carriers wearing traditional, all white or yellow cloths led the display. Behind them others carried various floats, most shaped like red koi fish, and at the heart of the group was a mikoshi carrying a white dragon gilded with gold coloring.

The two observed for a few moments before something seemed to occur to Naruto and he vanished in a burst of speed. Fuu looked slightly confused as she looked at the space he'd occupied a moment earlier, wondering where he went. Figuring he'd be back soon, her orange orbs returned to the parade. Sure enough, he returned about a minute later, carrying a plate of mitarashi dango. He offered her a stick, which she took graciously and they watched the spectacle together.

After taking in the sight of the procession, they walked the streets, a souvenir stall drawing Fuu's eyes. As she looked over the various masks and ornaments sold by the shop, one caught her interest and in short order, it was hers. She spun around on her heel as she tried on her new ANBU like mask before she felt a tug on her armlet. Sliding her newly bought mask onto the side of her head, she looked questioningly at the blond, who was looking off at something excitedly.

"Hey, Fuu, take a look at that!" He said, pointing at off down the road. Following his gaze, the white clad girl couldn't help but laugh when she saw the sign 'Ramen eating contest.' The grand prize was 10000 Ryo. "Can you believe it?"

"Is that all you ever think about?" She asked, amusement clear in her voice as she shook her head at him.

Not even dignifying the question with a response, Naruto said, "Come on! We can both get a free meal and I'll walk away with that prize money easy!"

And in short order, the two were enrolled in the contest. While she didn't think that the noodle dish was kami's divine gift to humanity and the answer to all the world's ills like the blond did, it was still one of her preferred meals and he was right; it was free food, and there was nothing better than a free meal, no strings attached. It always seemed to taste better.

They were seated several rows across from each other, each table having one contestant.

Were it not for the sense of anticipation that he was about to enjoy the heavenly dish he loved so much for the first time in weeks, Naruto would have taken a moment to pity his opponents. He could hardly stop his mouth from watering as the first plate; his favorite, pork ramen, was laid before him, the delicious aroma of the steaming broth tantalizing his senses.

The host's eyes roamed the group before him before he raised his hand in the air and brought it down. "Begin!"

And with that, the contestants dug into their dishes, each shoveling the noodles into their mouths as quickly as possible. It only took a short ten seconds before the blond slammed his bowl onto the table. "More!"

And so the cycle began, each contestant gorging themselves on the food provided by the local chefs as the crowd egged them on. Fuu outlasted most of her rivals, eating a whopping 14 bowls, but that was nothing as she watched with a slight sense of fascination as Naruto ate his thirty fifth bowl. Normally, even he wouldn't eat this much, but that was the aim of the game.

Fuu rooted for her fellow Jinchuriki on when his last rival, now ten bowls behind, finally gave in, his stomach so full he instantly slipped into a food coma and fell face first into the bowl, and cheered for him as the host walked up to him and raised the hand of the champion.

* * *

Naruto rested on the slanted roof of a building, basking in the warmth of the sun as he held his stomach, slightly bloated from the massive amount of ramen he'd practically inhaled. As she hadn't eaten as much and was too excited about the festival to wait for him to digest, Fuu had gone off on her own.

As he lay there, watching the clouds go by as the sounds of the revelry going down below filled his ears, the blond's thoughts turned to his old friends, wondering what they were all doing now.

He chuckled as he thought what a few of them were probably doing, if they weren't on missions or training. Shikamaru was probably doing the same thing, watching clouds. Choji was probably eating his fill. Ino was probably at her family's flower shop or shopping. He laughed again when he thought that all of Team Gai was probably training. He wondered if Neji and Tenten had any trouble keeping up with their over-enthusiastic teammates. Kiba was probably hanging out with Akamaru. Shino was probably studying bugs. Hinata… he didn't know much about her, so he couldn't guess what she was doing.

Sakura… he frowned… was probably trying to get stronger so she could rescue Sasuke. That thought instantly brought down his mood, causing him to sit up and let out a sigh, recalling his recent thoughts on the Uchiha and his last memories with the pink haired girl. It still hurt a little, seeing how much she loved the Sharingan wielding genin. How much he wished that she could look at him that way. Looking back, he realized that he may have been a bit annoying, constantly asking her out on dates, but he wasn't going to give up. He hoped that if he showed her how much she meant to him and how devoted to her he was, she might start to feel that way about him. But in the end, it didn't matter, she felt how she felt and even if it wasn't with him, he wanted her to be happy. Just as much as he wanted to save his friend, he wanted to do it for her. How would she react if he failed to save Sasuke? If he was forced to break his promise?

He shook his head to clear those thoughts away, his eyes hardening slightly. Dwelling on that would do no good. When he got back to Konoha, he'd be strong enough to keep his promise and, based on what they'd learned during their last mission, Orochimaru would be at his weakest. And when that day came, he, Sakura, Kakashi and Fuu would rescue him together.

His thoughts turned back to the mint haired girl at that. He wondered what she was doing. He smiled again, sure she was enjoying herself, and he was glad she was after what she'd been through. It was nice having a friend that could sympathize with his past, his only other being Gaara who was currently on the other side of the continent. He liked being in her company, finding it fun most of the time, and what she'd said a few weeks ago, that she'd support and be there for him no matter what, had meant more to him than he could tell her.

After a few more minutes of rest, he felt ready to hit the town again. Rising to his feet and stretching out, he ran to the side of the roof and leapt into the alleyway at its side, landing on his feet before rushing out into the crowd.

Eager eyes wandered the numerous stalls as the blond thought on what he should try out next before his eyes settles on a clothing store. It was a fairly ordinary shop, though it had a wide selection. Signs of various different colors, as well as some hangers holding samples of their wares, surrounded the entrance and a large red billboard with the shops name in kanji hung over its doors.

Looking around, just about everyone around him was dressed for the festival. With a shrug, he decided he might as well too and so, the young Uzumaki stepped into the shop.

He walked around, looking through the various pieces of clothing. He held up and examined a men's yukata, when he turned away and his eyes lit up. What he beheld was just perfect in his eyes. With a grin, he ran to grab it and try it on.

Just a few minutes later, the blond walked out of the shop, looking down with a grin as he examined his new clothing. He was now clad in an orange kimono top with matching hakama pants, tied with a black sash together with white tabi socks and normal sandals as opposed to the blue, open toed ones worn by shinobi. The ends of sleeves and the base of his pant legs bore black flame designs which the boy liked, briefly thinking how he'd like to add such designs to his usual attire one day.

And so, the blond took to the streets once again, now blending in with the crowd. His eyes roamed the various stands, looking searching for something else to draw his interest. He turned down a street and stopped, blinking in surprise before his eyes gleamed, knowing now what he wanted to do next. He started to run towards it when he felt a hand touch his arm just below his shoulder.

"Found you~." The familiar voice of his fellow Jinchuriki came from mere inches away from him. He turned and was mildly surprised to find Fuu had had the same idea he had. The mint haired girl now wore an elegant, white yukata kimono, covered with blue and yellow floral designs.

"Wow, looks like we think alike, huh?" Taking a step back, she spun on the ball of her foot, letting her kimono flare out. "So, how do I look?"

"Great. It really suits you, Fuu." The blond answered.

She laughed as she looked down at her robes. "I got it at a discount. The store owner thought I was cute and felt sorry for me when I told him I never had anything like this before." That made it particularly special to her. She wasn't used to random acts of kindness from strangers, having only experienced it twice before in her life. She'd been a bit suspicious of him, but seeing as he didn't ask for anything in return, she accepted. "Now, where were you looking just now?"

The blond grinned and grabbed her hand and led her through the crowd to a stand at the corner of the street. It had a simply game where the aim was to hit several targets, each having various point values, with a rubber ball. This stall owner had gone all out, going so far as to mechanize several of the targets. It seemed to be based on a war, the targets being shinobi and ninja animals. The higher the rank, or smaller the summon, the harder to hit and the more points they were worth. While some sat still, many moved and some were quite small. A civilian would have a hard time getting anything above the mid level prizes. Fuu raised a brow at this, thinking this type of game was laughably easy for a shinobi.

"Hey kids, see anything you like?" The stall owner questioned as he looked at the newest potential players.

Naruto nodded as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Yep! Now hand me some of those balls, I've got a game to win! How much"

The man chuckled before replying. "Sure thing. 100 ryo per ball."

Naruto pulled out five 100 ryo bills and handed them to the man, who gave handed him a container of five rubber balls. As Naruto picked one out, the mint haired Jinchuriki couldn't help but ask, "Naruto, what do you want from this game?"

Naruto just gave her his fox like grin in response.

* * *

Minutes later, the pair sat on a roof top, sharing some taiyaki. As he held up one of the fish shaped cakes, the boy smirked and chuckled slightly as he adjusted his brand new sunglasses, the item which had caught his eye at the throwing game before placing the last of the bean paste filled treat in his mouth.

Fuu sent an amused look his way as she commented, "You know, I hear stuff they give away as prizes at things like this don't usually last that long. You're probably going to have to buy another pair sometime soon."

Naruto swallowed before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the rubber ball the stall owner had given him as a secondary prize, throwing it up into the air and catching it repeatedly as he replied, "I know, but these will do in the meantime." He caught the ball and held it between both his hands as he turned to Fuu, who was finishing off the last treat. "So, how're things coming along with the Rasengan?"

Fuu swallowed before giving him a sheepish smile and rubbing the side of her head, "Well… to be honest, I don't think I'm getting anywhere. I might even need more balloons, I'm going through them like they're going out of style."

The blond laughed. "Yeah, that sounds about right. It's a really advanced jutsu, after all."

"How long did it take you to get this step?" Fuu questioned, tilting her head to the side.

The blond leaned back, his gaze turning to the sky. "… I'm not sure I should tell you, I mean, I don't think you're going to be able to pull that off anyway." When he saw the look on her face, he quickly brought his hands up in a placating gesture and added, "I didn't mean it like that, I mean I don't think it's even possible to learn it that fast, it's a really hard technique." He looked out the village as he continued. "The only reason I pulled it off was because I wasn't doing it right."

Fuu's face, previously set in an insulted and furious look, turned to a questioning stare. "What do you mean?"

"Well, remember when I told you not to use your other hand like I did?" The blond asked and she nodded in response. He rubbed his head and looked away from her. "It was kind of like that. See, back then, I'd only just started chakra control exercises and I couldn't even do the first step without using my other hand."

"So you used both hands to form the Rasengan?" Fuu guessed, only for Naruto to shake his head and scoff.

"No, that worked for the first two steps, but it wasn't enough for the third, so I improvised." His gaze returned to Fuu, his expression a strange mix of pride over his ingenuity and embarrassment that he'd needed to resort to it. "I had a shadow clone use both hands to compress and spin the chakra in my hand, so I could use it even if I couldn't do it on my own."

The mint haired girl looked mildly surprised at that. "That's pretty clever, though it sounds like it makes it a lot less useful…" She added thoughtfully, considering the various cons to making it that way.

The orange clad genin nodded in response, his expression oddly serious. "Exactly." He raised his right hand as he closed his eyes, pointing his index finger to the sky as he went into his rarely seen lecture mode. "Two of the best things about the Rasengan are its versatility and the speed you can form them in. Without any hand signs or special gestures, you can make one in the palm of your hand. You can spring it on your opponent in the blink of an eye, with no warning no matter what position you're in. But the way I made it, I needed a clone to help set it up. That took time, since I had to get into position. I couldn't form one near my opponent because of that and they'd always see it coming from a mile away, not to mention that I actually needed to make a shadow clone to use it." He opened his eyes and shrugged. "So yeah, I learned it, and fast, but it cost me some of the Rasengan's greatest strengths. It wasn't until months later and weeks of training, with clones, that I could use it right."

"Oh." Fuu began, understanding dawning on her features. "And you want me to learn it the right way."

"You got it." He replied before he gave her a reassuring smile. "Then again, what do I know? I had no idea about the shadow clone's trick when I first learned how to do it. Who knows, you might prove me wrong."

The orange eyed girl smiled at this before she seemed to realize something. "Wait a minute, you said you learned the shadow clone jutsu the day you graduated…" Her face shifted into a look of amusement as she leaned towards him. "You went all that time without learning how it works?"

The blond rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, well, I only ever used them in a fight. All the memories I got from them was too much like what I went through to notice the difference."

The female Jinchuriki sat back, her orange orbs shining with mirth before she closed them, holding her arms up as if to say 'oh well' and shaking her head. "No matter how you spin it, it still sounds like you were pretty dense back then."

"Hey, take that back!" Naruto shouted indignantly at the now laughing girl.

Fuu put a finger to her chin and looked to the sky and humming in thought before shaking her head. "No, I don't think I will."

Naruto growled and shot to his feet before lunging at the girl, who laughed as she leapt back just fast enough to avoid his grasp before she bolted away, leaping to the next building with the blond in hot pursuit.

Naruto chased the giggling girl across the rooftops. As the blond chased after her, she vanished as she crossed over the crest of the pointed roof of a large building, but the blond quickly reached its peak himself and spied her on the next roof and quickly launched himself after her.

A few moments later, when the two were almost out of sight, Fuu leapt up to the roofs and held her hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun's rays as she looked at the tiny figures of her fellow Jinchuriki and her clone before chuckling to herself.

"Bet he'll regret teaching me that jutsu when he realizes he's chasing a shadow clone."

"Think so?"

Her eyes shot open and she twisted her body around to look at the source of the voice before she was tackled by an orange and yellow blur. The pair of young teens rolled across the tiles a as they tussled.

"Take it back!" Naruto's shout could be heard over the sounds of their scuffle and the festival below.

"Never!" Fuu's mirth filled voice replied as both struggled for dominance in their play fight.

Finally, Naruto came out on top, literally sitting on her waist and pinning her arms beside her head, looking down at her with a playful, victorious smirk. It only took him a moment before his expression shifted to one of uncertainty, his cheeks taking on a red tinge as his brain caught up the fact that he was currently straddling a rather attractive girl and his hormones kicked into overdrive.

Fuu, meanwhile, felt her heart rate speed up and the muscles in her stomach tighten, but not in a way that suggested fear, as she looked up at the blond. She turned her head away in a futile attempt to hide her own flushing face.

Was it getting hot out here, or was it just her?

"Think, uh, think you could get off of me?" She asked in a meek voice as she tried to figure out what she was feeling.

Shaking off his stupor, the blond replied, "Not until you take back what you said."

Fuu took a deep breath while mentally screaming to get a hold of herself before she looked up at him with a teasing grin. "Make me!" And with that, she kicked out, using the slanted surface of the roof to her advantage to successfully dislodging the blond and sending them into another playful tussle, the tension between them broken as their laughter filled the air.

* * *

Hours later, the sky was beginning to darken, turning a deep blue while the edge of the horizon was painted a vibrant orange by the last rays of the setting sun, which had since vanished out of sight. The moon could be seen hovering over the land as the two Jinchuriki walked down the street, Naruto had his hands on the back of his head as he looked around, searching for something else to do.

The day was coming to an end. According to what they'd heard, soon most of the stalls would close and the people would gather together in the village's plaza for the last hours of the festival, meaning they had little time left.

"Hey, you there." A voice cut through the crowd. "You two in white and orange." They both turned at that and saw a young man looking at them from a booth, giving them a sly smile while holding up some tickets, eyeing what he'd hoped would be easy marks. "Want to buy a lottery ticket? It's only 50 ryo a pop. You could double your investment in one ticket."

He couldn't help chuckling internally. Kids like the two teens before him were almost always too easy to fool. Let them know what they could win, and all too soon they'd spend all their money and have nothing to show for it.

Poor sap had no idea who he was dealing with.

Fuu scoffed, closing her eyes and turning her head away. She may have been the butt of many jokes about luck, considering how 7 was supposed to be a lucky number, but there was no way she was going to waste her money on the odds of a lottery. "Yeah, right. Only an idiot would-"

"One please!" Her eyes shot open as her head jerked in the direction of the booth to see her fellow Jinchuriki had just bought a ticket.

"Thanks, kid." The owner said as the blond grinned and began to scratch off the covering on the ticket.

"Naruto… why would you waste your money on this?" Fuu asked in disbelief before she closed her orange orbs and continued, "Do you know the odds of-"

"I won!" Naruto called out, holding the slip of paper up in victory while the eyes of Fuu and the stall owner bulged.

"What!?" They both cried in shock.

Naruto handed the ticket back to the man he'd just purchased it from, his mouth stretched into a shit eating grin as he held out his hand and made a gimme gesture. "Read it and weep. Now pay up!"

"Damn it, you gotta be kidding me!" The man growled as he stared in disbelief at the ticket.

* * *

Naruto laughed as he and Fuu walked away from the booth, holding his frog wallet which was once more full to bursting. Unfortunately, rather than the lottery it had been a sweepstake specifically for the festival, so the payout didn't even compare. Still, he'd made 50 times what he'd paid.

The white clad kunoichi was still staring at her fellow Jinchuriki in disbelief. "I can't believe you won off of one ticket…"

"Yeah, just like last time. Can you believe my luck? I must be the opposite of Grandma Tsunade or something!"

Fuu arched a brow, wondering what he meant by that comment about Tsunade, but her eyes shown with interest as she focused on what he'd said before that. "Wait a minute, last time?"

"Heh, yeah. Remember when I told you that the Pervy Sage stole all my money?" He asked, turning his head to look at Fuu. "Well, afterwards, I won it all back with a single ticket."

Fuu's jaw dropped before her mouth widened into a smirk. "I've got to take you to a casino one day. Think of all the money you could make me."

The Uzumaki survivor frowned as he turned his head to look at her. "Now hang on. Why should I give it to you? I'll let you borrow some, but I'm not just going to give you my money."

Fuu's smirk took on an air of superiority as she asked, "Did it ever occur to you to put your luck to good use and try out a casino?"

Naruto smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Well…"

Fuu placed her hands on her hips and held her head high as she said, "Then consider it a finder's fee."

The Kyuubi Jinchuriki scoffed. "Finder's fee nothing. I'm not just giving you my money. Besides, what are you going to spend it on, books?"

"Yeah, and what's wrong with that?" She retorted before both focused an intense stare on each other, sparks flying off between them as they stared each other down in a contest of wills.

The battle only lasted a moment before a voice so close it could only have been referring to them called out, "Hey, now, this isn't the place for a lover's quarrel." Both turned to see the owner of the stand, a man who looked to be in his late fifties or early sixties, grinning down at them as he leaned on the table in front of him. "Come on, kid. Admit your girlfriend has a good idea."

Their faces became masks of shock as their cheeks flushed. As one, the pair quickly pointed at each other and shouted, "She's/He's not my girlfriend/boyfriend!"

The man just chucked in response. "Whatever you say. Hey, while you're here, why don't you try out my stand? That money must be burning a hole in your pocket."

Naruto looked to the game in question. It was similar to gold fish scooping, but using bouncy balls instead of actual fish. He was kind of glad for that. The only prize for goldfish scooping were the goldfish themselves, which they couldn't keep because of their travelling, so they hadn't gotten any kind of reward aside from the fun they'd had.

Nodding, Naruto said, "All right, your on." He turned to Fuu. "What about you?"

She shrugged. "Nah, I'll sit this one out."

Naruto opened up his wallet and bought a poi paper scoop before pocketing it and beginning to play the game. In about two minutes, he'd succeeded in getting five balls. He'd managed to get the sixth ball out of the pool and over the bowl just before it broke. While the ball fell into the bowl, scoring him another point, it ended the game as he'd only bought one.

Naruto clicked his tongue in annoyance but the man whistled, clearly impressed. "Nice job, kid. You got enough to win the grand prize." He extended his arm, gesturing to the prize wall. "Go ahead, pick out anything you like."

Naruto's eyes wandered over the wall, looking at what he could get with his score. As opposed to several toys, he decided on just getting one. He examined the top row, looking at the various prizes before his gaze settled on a white fox plushie. While his life had been made… difficult by a certain fox demon in his gut, he didn't dislike foxes in general, actually liking the mythological trickster spirits.

Shame the Kyuubi wasn't a thing like them.

Also, white foxes were said to be envoys of Inari and a good omen, supposedly possessing the power to ward off spirits. He pointed to the toy and the man nodded. He waved and bid them farewell, which they returned as they walked away.

Naruto grinned as he held up his new toy before he seemed to think about something. After a moment of thought, he turned to the mint haired Jinchuriki beside him. "Hey, Fuu."

"Hm?" She turned her head to look at him.

He held out his newly won plushie to her. She'd like it more than him, he was sure. After all, it was her favorite color. "Want it?"

Fuu blinked, clearly surprised at the offer. "You mean it?"

The blond nodded and Fuu took the toy, holding it in front of her before smiling and turning to him, hugging the white fox plushie to her chest. "Thanks."

He smiled back but before he could reply, lights shined down on them. The pair looked up to see that the lanterns hanging all across the village had finally lit up. Both looked on in amazement at the brilliant display of multicolored lights that bathed the village in their glow.

* * *

An hour later and the Jinchuriki sat at the edge of the village's main plaza, watching as people danced around a bond fire and various instruments played all around the area. The sounds of flutes, Shamisens, Kotos and drums, among others reverberated throughout the area, melding together into a uplifting melody that fit the festival perfectly. However, neither felt like dancing, so they just watched. Night had fallen and stars lit up the sky, though their majesty was obscured by the bright lights of the festival.

"Wouldn't it be nice if we could come back here every year?" Fuu asked, craning her neck to look at her fellow Jinchuriki.

"Hn, you got that right." He nodded. "I wouldn't mind making the trip."

She then tilted her head to the side, her expression becoming curious as she asked, "Does Konoha have any festivals?"

Naruto jerked at the question, causing Fuu's face to shift to concern as his eyes fell to the ground. "Yeah… one. Every year, on the day of the Kyuubi's defeat, we celebrate how we survived the crisis, and to remember everyone who died trying to stop it."

The mint haired girl grimaced at that before frowning as something occurred to her. "But… wasn't that the day you were…"

"Born? That's right." Naruto answered, his face downtrodden as memories from all the past birthdays flooded his mind. It was on that day that his treatment was at an all time low. He'd never been beaten or chased or anything like that, but if he even went out on that day, the people would make their opinions of him clear. Their sharp tongues would sting the unknowing child more than any blow and so, he'd stay cooped up in his apartment on that day. Worse still, Iruka and the Third had obligations due to their positions as an academy instructor and the Hokage, and the festival was one of the times when business was at its highest at Ichiraku's, so aside from the times the ramen chefs tore themselves away from their work to spend the day with him, something he'd told them not to do knowing how much their business would suffer for it, he spent what should have been one of the happiest days for a young child alone and miserable.

Fuu winced, suddenly finding her feet very interesting as she hugged her plushie tighter to her chest. "Sorry… I shouldn't have reminded you of that…"

He shrugged. "It's fine. You didn't know."

He didn't know what else to say after that, and neither did she, and so the pair sat in silence, their thoughts wandering to their pasts as opposed to the festivities that surrounded them.

"Hey, why so glum?" A familiar voice asked. Both turned their heads to see Jiraiya of the Sannin, looking down on them with a smirk as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Pervy Sage?" Naruto asked. "Where've you been all day?"

The man just chuckled. "Oh, you know, I found various ways to enjoy myself." He eyed the pair. "Looks like you had fun too. So, how'd you like the festival?"

Their expressions brightening at the change of subject, Naruto said, "It was great! One of the best days of my life! If I could, I'd come back here every year!"

Fuu nodded fervently. "Same here! I don't think I've ever had this much fun!"

Jiraiya gave a short laugh before he kicked himself off the wall. "Well, it's about to get even better." He walked away, gesturing for them to follow. "Come on, I've got something to show you."

The teens looked at each other, wondering what he had in mind, before getting up and following the Sannin.

* * *

The toad sage led the pair out of the village to a large hill looking down on the town. All the lights from the festival melded together, making a bright jewel in the center of the darkness of the night.

Naruto looked to the town curiously. It was a beautiful sight, but it didn't explain why their perverted sensei had brought them out there. He turned at the sound of a scroll being opened to see Jiraiya summon a large, white blanket, which he promptly laid flat on the ground before nodding to himself and looking out to the village.

"Yeah, this is perfect. It should be just about time."

The Kyuubi Jinchuriki raised a brow. "Time for what?"

As soon as those words left his mouth, he heard loud pops behind him and with each burst of sound, the area around him was illuminated by a brief flash of colored light. He felt Fuu tug on he sleeve at his side.

"Naruto, look!" The former taki kunoichi called out. Naruto turned and saw what was making the sound and the light; fireworks. Now he understood why the Sage had brought them out here, this place had the best view.

The Sannin gave a bark of a laugh as he at down, looking at the amazed and joyful expressions on their faces.

In short order, the teens had lied down on the blanket, laying on their backs with their hands cushioning their heads, soaking in the beauty of the fireworks and the light of the village.

* * *

**Please review.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey. Here's the next chapter of Legends of Two Jinchuriki. Mostly, it's just a fun filler chapter. Sorry.**

**I've received some questions about when they'll return to Konoha. Sorry to say, no time soon. There will be time skips, but it'll be quite a while before we reach that point.**

**Edited 8/11/13: I realized that one month was way too fast for them to write a full length novel. I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that, so I upped it to eight months. Because of this, I had to change my plans for the next arc, as what I was planning for them wouldn't be too much of a challenge after an additional seven months of training.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Naruto sat on the limb of a tree at the edge of a clearing, his left leg hanging down off the branch as he rested his head in his hands, staring up through the forest canopy at the clear skies above. It was nearing midday as he relaxed, waiting for his sensei to finish packing up camp.

He craned his neck to look into the clearing where their camp lied. Jiraiya, who had slept in a bit today, was just about finished packing up his futon, rolling it up and pulling out a scroll to seal it into on the other side of the camp.

At the center of what had minutes ago been their campsite, sitting on a stone at their extinguished fire, was Fuu, her expression neutral as she read a black covered book, the sight of which caused Naruto's face to twist slightly in annoyance.

As he'd promised, Jiraiya had delivered a special edition, hard covered, author signed black version of the latest Icha Icha novel: Icha Icha Violence. He recalled when he'd given her the book, her face lighting up at the sight of a special edition novel, knowing how much harder they usually were to find, not to mention more expensive. Jiraiya, rubbing his hands together in anticipation, had eagerly asked her to give it a read over and tell him what she thought of it, and despite Naruto's warnings, Fuu had agreed spending all her free time when they weren't either training or travelling reading the novel.

However, aside from the fact that she continued to read the adult novel, there had been no hint as to her opinion. Apparently, she didn't like giving an opinion on anything she read until she actually read the whole thing and once she started a book, she'd always finish it. Naruto thought that that might be an excuse and she really was a pervert deep down, although the fact that her expression had always been pretty much blank, focused when looking through its pages didn't give him any clues as to what she actually thought.

On the other hand, his jonin sensei, Kakashi usually had a similarly neutral expression when reading. Then again, he always looked that way.

He shrugged and sat back, relaxing as he waited for the perverted sage to finish packing up so they could get a move on.

He turned and looked slightly surprised when the sound of a book being slammed shut reached his ears. Fuu, her eyes closed, had apparently finished with it. Jiraiya's expression lit up the sound as he spun on his heel to have his hopes confirmed.

Jiraiya walked over to her, crossing his arms with a smug grin on his face. Finally! At long last he'd found a female who appreciated his work! He couldn't wait to hear her singing his praises.

Nearly every other girl he met had scorned his work, throwing it away after the first chapter, with a few exceptions like Anko back in Konoha. He really struck gold when he met his latest student. He'd finally found one who knew quality literature when she saw it, she was the perfect pupil!

"Oh ho, finished it already, have you?" Jiraiya questioned, causing Fuu to look to him. "So, what'd you think? Amazing right?"

"Well…" Fuu began, closing her eyes and holding the book up with one hand as she began her appraisal. "It's definitely well written. The dialogue flowed very well, you avoided the use of repetitive words or sentences and I liked the humor, all the hallmarks of a good book…"

Jiraiya nodded with a self satisfied-smirk, once again thankful to have a student that appreciated true art. He eagerly waited to hear what she thought of the sex scenes. "But…" She continued, and he felt a slight sense of trepidation at her utterance of that word, which was almost always a bad sign.

His fears were confirmed when she once again looked at him, giving him a deadpan look. "I think that next time we make camp, we should throw it in the fire."

All hints of smugness, joy, and light in general faded from Jiraiya's expression. His entire body shifted white, his eyes completely blank as his jaw hit the ground.

Up in his tree, Naruto jerked in surprise from her sudden shift in demeanor before letting out a series of loud cackles, placing a hand on his stomach. The look on his sensei's face was priceless!

Fuu gave Jiraiya a reproachful stare as he stood frozen from having his expectations of praise dashed like glass upon cold, hard stone. She wasn't exaggerating either, to her; bad books were a disgrace to all the other forms of wonderful literature that graced the world and should be wiped from the earth. Part of her wanted to tear it to pieces and purge it with flame before giving the ashes to a priest to purify.

Let it be known she took her literature as seriously as Naruto did ramen.

The laughing blond swung his leg around, fully facing his teammates. "Ha! See, told you the old perv's books were trash!"

That insult to his work seemed to snap Jiraiya out of his stupor. The man shot forward, snatching his book out of Fuu's hand, who didn't seem the least bit upset to be rid of it, before shouting at her, his expression twisted in indignant fury, "What the hell!? What's the matter with you!? My books are a work of art adored throughout the continent!"

Fuu met her sensei's fierce glare with her own as she shot back, "They're garbage fit only to be used as scrap paper!"

Jiraiya stood up straight and crossed his arms. Already guessing what the girl's problem was. "Ha, yeah right! You just can't handle seductive pleasures detailed within its pages. Don't worry, you're just a kid, you'll…"

"Please, I've read more enticing scenes then what's in that filth you have the nerve call art." Fuu replied in a perfectly serious deadpan, causing both males to jerk and freeze, both their minds coming to a dead stop at her words as they stared at her with identical looks of pure shock, eyes wide and mouths agape.

"Wha- what, but, that's, you…" Jiraiya stammered before glaring hotly. "Then what's wrong with my work!? How can you insult my work when you enjoy the perverted delights I've described here!?"

Fuu gave the perverted sage an annoyed look as she replied, "I said I've read better sex scenes then what you've written, I never said I went _looking_ for them." Fuu closed her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "Sensei, your literature's, if you can even call it that, sole appeal is sex, but the thing about that is that you can't sacrifice the quality of the book for the sake of it." Raising her right hand level to her chest and extending her index finger to the sky, she explained, "The most vital aspects of a book are, of course, the quality of writing, how well it all flows, its ability to draw the readers in and, most importantly, the characters and the story. Sex can be used to spice up a book, but it's still secondary to everything else. It should only be used sparingly and it's best used as a climactic point in the relationship of two characters or to show a character's development. Most importantly, as I said, it's just a spice added to the heavenly delicacy that is a good book. If you're going to write a book with sex in it, it has to be almost or just as good without it." As soon as those words left her mouth, she turned to Jiraiya and pointed an accusing finger his way, causing him to step back as if struck as she finished her condemning evaluation. "_That_, Ero-sensei, is why your book is, to any real lover of literature, a complete failure! All the character's defining trait is that each and every one of them is a whore who either scores if they're a protagonist or tries to steal one of the partners if they're not! What little plot there is exists solely to justify the main character's lusty escapades! It's smut that no one but a pervert would like!"

Jiraiya simply stared down at the mint haired girl, shocked speechless at her words. While it was true, he'd written his books mainly around sex, he was also quite confident in his work. She couldn't be right… could she? Sure, his works weren't exactly well received prior to the Icha Icha series, but he was still a masterful writer… right?

Understanding dawned on Naruto's face as he looked down at the pair. One moment she said something that made him think she was a pervert, the next the opposite. Now, he knew. It wasn't that she was a pervert, she just loved to read so much she'd read _anything_ as long as the story and writing were good.

Jiraiya shook his head as if to clear it before bending forward and pointing at Fuu, "You don't know what you're talking about! My books are renowned throughout every country!"

"There are perverts in every country." Fuu responded dryly with a deadpan look.

"And what would a kid like you know?"

Fuu met his glare with her own and replied, "Oh I don't know. I'd say someone who spent most their childhood in the library might know what they're talking about, wouldn't you?"

"Then why have all my works been best sellers?"

"Do you need to clean your ears out or something? I told you, because there are perverts in every country! And if they're so great, then why is it mostly men who buy your books?" She smirked when he jerked back a bit. "Struck a nerve, huh? Face it, those books are nothing but perverted garbage."

Jiraiya growled and the two began arguing over the perverted Sannin's abilities as a writer, causing Naruto to chuckle as he listened. It was a bit funny to watch the two gradually get more and more worked up, the mint haired girl standing up and getting in her sensei's face as they continued to fight over Jiraiya's books.

After a few moments, he adjusted himself so that his right leg once again rested on the branch, sat back, and relaxed as the two continued their dispute.

"Please! Your books are complete crap! I bet Naruto or I could write something hundreds of times better than those wastes of paper!" Fuu shouted, throwing her arm out.

_That_ got Naruto's attention. He suddenly sat up and twisted his body, staring in shock at the duo. "Hang on, say what now?"

"Oh yeah? Then how about you put your money where your mouth is!?" Jiraiya ground out through gritted teeth.

"Just name the stakes!"

"Fine. If and when your books flop and it becomes clear my writing is superior, you'll have to cough up whatever royalties you two make AND refer to me as Master Jiraiya" Jiraiya seemed to think for a moment before adding with a dark glint in his eye, "As well as help me with my research!" He stood up with a smug grin and crossed his arms, "You'll have go around and scout out the best hiding spots for me to observe and lull my targets into a false sense of security. And when you're older, you'll have to model for me."

Fuu seemed a little stunned by the thought of having to help with his peeping, before a dark grin spread across her face. Interrupting Naruto's cry of, 'Now wait just a minute!' as he appeared at their side, she responded with a sly look, "Why would you want us to help? I thought you _liked_ it when they caught you peeping on them and chased you down."

All traces of self-satisfaction vanished from Jiraiya's face as his expression twisted into a look of rage. "Damn it, brat! I am not a masochist!"

Deciding to get back on track, Fuu placed her hands on her hips stated, "Fine then, Ero-sensei! But if either of our books outsell yours, you'll have to go a year without doing any of your research or anything else perverted! And of course, we keep all the royalties, so don't even think of mooching off of us!"

"But-"

Jiraiya coughed slightly at that, taken aback by her wager and slightly worried despite himself. The thought of going a years without the pleasure of looking at or touching a woman was anathema to him. "You sure that's what you want?"

"What's wrong, scared?" Fuu asked with a smirk, arching a mint colored brow at her sensei.

"They're not even listening to me…" Naruto commented with a look of despair.

Incensed by her prodding, Jiraiya's fierce stare returned, "All right, you've got yourself a bet! Just don't blame me when you lose!"

"That's my line. Try not to cry when we win and prove that you're a lousy writer!" Fuu replied, meeting his glare for a few moments before both turned away and walked off.

Naruto looked back and forth between one and the other before he threw his arms out. "What the hell just happened!? Don't I get any say in this at all!?"

* * *

Apparently, he did not.

"Oh, come on!" Naruto complained as the trio walked under the rows of massive, gray torii gates that served as the town's entrance. "I don't want to be a part of this stupid bet! It was Fuu's idea, why do I have to go along with it?"

"Eh, what can I say? Tough break, kid." Jiraiya replied with a shrug. "The deals already been made, so just grin and bear it."

"This is ridiculous." Naruto growled, running his hands through his hair in exasperation. "Why the hell would I want to write a book?"

"Geez, kid, suck it up. It's not like it's the end of the world." Jiraiya commented as he eyed the genin, who sighed in response.

Fuu stepped up along side the blond and placed her hand on his shoulder, giving him a bright smile. "Don't be that way. Think about it, wouldn't you like to put this old pervert in his place?" She asked, jabbing her thumb in Jiraiya's direction. "Besides, just think, if we win, he'll have to go an entire year without doing his research."

Naruto sighed again. "All right, all right." He said tiredly, waving his hand in a defeated manner. He couldn't deny he'd like to show Jiraiya just how poor those pieces of smut he called art really were. Besides, the thought of the perverted Sannin going a year without peeping was too good to pass up.

"Hn." Jiraiya crossed his arms and smirked. "Oh, this I can't wait to see."

* * *

Naruto grumbled, his eye twitching as he stared down at the open notepad before him. He'd decided to write down all his ideas for his book. Everything he could think of and then pick what he liked and try to make a story out of it. It seemed a good plan…

… Except that, after two days of alternating effort and procrastination, he came up with…

… Nothing.

The paper was as blank as it was when he started out.

Naruto clasped the sides of his head and furiously scratched at his skull in frustration. '_Why am I even doing this? How'd I let myself get roped into this mess?_' He asked himself, and not for the first time since this bet began.

With a sigh, he rose to his feet. He wasn't getting anywhere. He needed to get some advice or else his book really would be a flop. While he hadn't agreed to this wager, he refused to give his sensei the satisfaction of winning, especially when he knew that if it came to that, the man would lord it over them and go on and on about how his perverted books are the best thing since noodles.

Well, considering she was the one who was so eager to make the deal and how much she loved to read, Fuu must have some advice for how to get started.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me!" Naruto yelled at a clearly irritated Fuu, who, as it turned out, hadn't made any progress either. They were sitting on the roof of a historical palace that lied in the center of the town. Fuu had hoped the view would give her some inspiration, but was sorely disappointed.

Fuu turned to him and rubbed the back of her head with a sheepish grin. "Yeah… heh heh… guess it's not as easy as it looks, huh?"

"Took the words right out of my mouth." Their eyes widened as the voice of Jiraiya reached their ears. The both turned to see him standing there, looking smug. Deciding to rub it in, he chuckled before saying, "Sounds like you guys are off to a great start. I'm sure you'll finish up in no time at all. Heh, looks like you're all set to blow my boring old Icha Icha series out of the water." He said letting out a raucous laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Ero-sensei! Just you wait, I'll make you eat those words." Fuu glared at him, but the man just kept laughing, confident in the superiority of his works over anything a pair of teens could possibly write.

Seeing that Fuu had no advice to give, Naruto decided that, as much as he didn't want to, to ask his sensei. "Hey, Pervy Sage. How do you get started? It can't all just come to you from out of the blue."

Jiraiya scoffed, shaking his head before waving his finger at the boy. "Now now, Naruto, you can't expect me to give you the keys to beating me, now can you?"

The blond Uzumaki growled and stood up, his right hand clenched into a fist. "Now listen here, you stupid pervert! I never even agreed to this bet in the first place! You two dragged me in and never gave me a choice, so the least you can do is give me a few pointers!"

Jiraiya sighed, seeing his point. After about a second of thinking it over, he raised his head and waved his hand in a defeated gesture. "All right, all right, you've got a point. Fine then, if you must know, while the bulk of my inspiration comes from my research, I usually get started by thinking about two things; what I'd like to see in a story and my own experiences."

'_And that's why his books are nothing but smut…_' Naruto tilted his head curiously, "You mean you base the characters and the story on your life?"

Jiraiya nodded. "Exactly. I'll admit I embellished the sex a little…" '_A lot._' both Jinchuriki thought. "… But mostly, I based it on what I'd seen and done." Suppressing a shudder, he added, "Word of warning, though. If you use someone you know as a base for a character, try to make it hard to notice the similarities and whatever you do, DON'T let the names be anything even remotely alike."

He felt a chill run down his spine when he thought back to the second Icha Icha book he'd written… he'd based it on his student; Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, and his then girlfriend and eventual wife, Kushina. Like what he'd gleamed from his own experiences, he'd… embellished… quite a bit, though he did use quite a few of the things he had either seen or learned of them doing, including one time, after the loss of a friend, that Kushina stayed over Minato's home for the weekend. Needless to say, he turned that event, regardless of what actually happened, into one long sex marathon to ease her pain in his book.

Unfortunately for him, someone (Kakashi) let it slip to them how similar they were to those characters… they were not amused. He almost shivered whenever he thought of the next time he'd seen them. They'd tricked him into coming with them alone despite the alarm bells that had gone off in his mind. The looks on their faces before they unleashed what could only be described as hell upon him still terrified him to this day. It was yet another beating that almost made it onto the list of times he'd nearly died.

Unaware of her sensei's fearful thoughts, Fuu thought to herself about what he'd just said.

As Naruto crossed his arms, tilting his head forward and squinting his eyes shut in as he too considered their sensei's words, the proverbial light bulb went off in Fuu's head behind him as she looked out at the forest surrounding the village.

"Thanks, Ero-sensei!" She said, turning briefly to look at them before vanishing with a body flicker.

Jiraiya clicked his tongue at that, a little annoyed his advice helped her so fast, but he quickly got over it, sure that whatever she came up with wouldn't hold a candle to his Icha Icha series, before turning to Naruto. "So, you got any ideas?"

Naruto just grumbled and turned away, causing the Sannin to chuckle as he leapt off the side of the building.

* * *

Fuu sat on the branch of a tree, sighing as she listened to the sounds of nature around her. The leaves were rustling as a slight breeze blew through the area. Birds were chirping, and the calming sound of running water, as well as the scent of damp earth, permeated the area.

She looked down at her notepad with a smile, now full of ideas as well as a rough plan for the beginning of her book.

She'd taken her sensei's advice and thought about her own life, all the people she'd seen and met, all the books she'd read, not intending to copy anything of course, just using them as a reference to what people wanted to read and what pitfalls to avoid.

She nodded at her progress. Yep, the creative juices were flowing. She was glad she'd been there when Naruto had gotten advice from Jiriaya, as she never would have asked him out of pride. Now that she'd gotten started, the ideas just seemed to come to her in a flash.

Using her own experiences as a base, she'd decided to base the main character off of her a bit. It would be the tale of an orphan girl all alone in the world, but grew up as a shinobi, eventually finding love and acceptance, and being instrumental in stopping an enemy from claiming a treasure of her village. She was even entertaining the thought of making it the first part of a trilogy.

Of course, she wouldn't just completely detail her own life, though she would put versions of Hiro and Airi in the tale as a way of remembering them. The girl would start out rather unconfident, kind of like Sasame, relying on her teammates, until she grew up to be someone they could depend on.

Her expression turned unreadable as she eyed one particular idea she'd gotten from her own past, one that would start the main character's journey to becoming a hero. It was actually what had strengthened her desire to protect others so.

One of the first C-rank missions she'd had was to escort an old merchant from the Land of Honey to the Land of Grass. It was a fairly simple and easy mission and she'd liked their client. He'd noticed how she was treated by the others, and actually spoke out against them, even letting her take one of his wares. It had been one of the few times she'd experienced a random act of kindness. Things went smoothly… until a group of nine bandits attacked.

Now, bandits were common on such missions and usually, due to the massive difference in ability between those who were and weren't versed in the use of chakra, usually nothing to worry about and easily taken care of. This, however, had been one of those rare bands of criminals made entirely of B-rank missing-nin and not so easily fended off.

In the end, the merchant had been killed and the mission ended in failure. She hadn't known him long enough to consider him a friend, but his death on her team's watch strengthened her resolve to protect anyone or anything that mattered to her.

Shaking those memories off, she returned to her story, wondering what to change. She'd like to change some things but had to remember that she couldn't shy away from the deaths of likeable or major characters. The best stories needed a bit of everything in her opinion; action, comedy, romance, drama and tragedy.

But, it was still in the planning stages. She had a lot more brainstorming to do before she actually started writing out the tale.

Her thoughts wandered to Naruto, wondering how he was doing. Truth be told, she was a bit regretful about getting him roped into this. He obviously wasn't too happy about it, and unlike her, he wasn't an avid reader, so he couldn't use past readings as a reference point for what to avoid.

She shrugged this off however. Once she won, he'd benefit too, getting paid and no longer having to put up with their sensei's perverted habits. She chuckled a bit as she imagined him rubbing it in the man's face.

As she raised her pencil, she felt a light tickling feeling on her bare shoulder, and recognized it as the feeling of a bug landing on it. She stuck the pencil into the notepad's bindings and put it down beside her before touching her shoulder with her hand, allowing the insect to crawl onto it. The Nanabi Jinchuriki brought her extremity before her eyes to find herself face to face with something most would have found slightly disquieting: a wasp. A specimen of the fairly common Vespa Simillima, she identified.

Fuu, however, smiled. "Well, hello there." She said, not really needing to speak as she communicated with the insect through her ability.

Watching the wasp crawl across her fingers, Fuu had an idea. She thought back to two of the books she'd been reading before her sensei gave her the Icha Icha to try out; _Venom: Nature's Most Dangerous Killers_, a compendium of the various venoms animals and insects produced that can or can't be harvested and _Poisons: Silent Killing and Leveling the Playing Field._

She thought back to her idea to try to control the mutations the Nanabi's chakra induced. She hadn't used it on her beetles because they'd already been altered by the chakra. It wasn't an omnipotent ability, it could enhance their senses, heighten or give them variations of their natural abilities and perhaps give them new abilities if they had the capacity to develop them, but it couldn't, for example, cause her beetles to suddenly develop poison glands. There wasn't much more she could do with them.

But if she were to apply the chakra to these wasps, and learn to actually control the results… that gave a lot of possibilities for what she could do with their venom. She could even breed multiple queens with each of their offspring carrying different poison.

Nodding to herself, she communicated with the insect which flew back to her shoulder before she picked up her notepad and vanished in a body flicker.

* * *

Minutes later, Fuu reappeared in the forest, now wearing the red cylinder which carried her beetles, following the wasp as it flew back to its colony.

It wasn't long before she saw the oval shaped nest sitting high up in the tree next to a small river, smirking as she watched the wasps fly in and out of the single opening in the paper-like structure. She leapt up to the nearest branch and called out to the stinging insects with her chakra, and waited.

It wasn't long before they responded. She looked intently at the hive as the she communicated with them in a way no human outside clans like the Aburame could ever hear before finally, the entire swarm flew out.

While most would probably run screaming at the sight, Fuu smiled. Indeed, she had no reason to be worried as all the yellow insects flew towards her, but rather than land on her body, they all flew into the cylinder on her back.

"Play nice, now." She said in a slightly chastising, slightly joking manner, as she craned her neck to watch the wasps enter their new home and sensed that, though there were initial hostilities, her old and new insects obeyed her command and didn't trouble each other. There was enough room in the container for both of them and the Nanabi's chakra nourished any insect, so there was no need to compete for food, or for the wasps to try to make a meal of their new neighbors.

That being said, she could sense it was kind of crowded. Noting she'd need to find some other way to keep them, and that she'd need to place silencing seals on the cylinder now as she could hear a faint buzzing from its confines, she leapt down to the forest floor and placed the cylinder at the base of the tree before sitting on a nearby stone. Finding this as good a place as any, she took out her notepad and returned to work.

* * *

Naruto ran his fingers through his hair as he stared at the notepad before him in frustration. The Sannin's advice had given him plenty of ideas. After all, he'd had some pretty unique times and adventures during his short career as a shinobi, but he still had no idea how he should start or what his story should be about.

Soon enough, he sighed and put his notepad away and stood up, staring out from the rooftop at the village beneath him. He needed to take a moment and clear his head. After thinking on it a moment, he decided to have a walk around town and leapt down to the alley below.

As he walked out into the street, an idea came to him and he smirked.

* * *

Minutes later, he found himself outside the village in a nice, secluded spot in the forest. Nodding to himself at the spot, he quickly ran through hand signs before slamming his palm to the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"

A small burst of smoke erupted from where his hand collided with the earth, which quickly cleared to reveal a familiar, orange toad.

Gamakichi raised his hand in greeting. "Hey, long time no see Naruto."

"Good to see you, Gamakichi." Naruto replied with a grin.

Gamakichi's expression took on a hint of curiosity as he asked, "So, what's up? You haven't called me out since that mess with Orochimaru."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and said with a slight laugh "I kind of got roped into this stupid bet and I thought you might be able to help me out a little."

"Ah, well, let's see what I can do. What's do you need?"

"Well… I'm kind of supposed to write a book and I don't even know where to start…"

The toad gave him an incredulous look. "… That's why you called me out here?" He turned his head away. "Heh, forget that. If that's all you need then I'm going back home."

"Hey, now hang on! The least you can do is try to lend me a hand!" Naruto said, irritated by the toads response.

Gamakichi faced him again and replied with a slight glare, "And what the hell do you think I can do? I've barely read anything in my life! We don't exactly have a lot of books where I come from, you know."

"Funny, you didn't strike me as the type to just give up without even trying." Naruto shot back.

"And what would be in it for me?" Gamakichi responded. Naruto smirked and reached into his pocket, pulling out a plastic bag containing an assortment of candy, causing the toads eyes to light up. "Well, why didn't you say so? Hand 'em over and I'll try to help you out."

With a slight laugh, Naruto through the bag to the small amphibian. "Don't eat them all yourself. Make sure to save some for Gamatatsu."

"Yeah, yeah." Gamakichi replied, reaching into the bag and pulling out a small piece of hard candy before popping it into his mouth. "But you know, I wasn't kidding back there. What good do you think I can do?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Well, really, I just wanted a friend to bounce ideas off of."

"Ah." Gamakichi nodded. "Now that I can handle. So, what've you been up to?"

"Well…" Naruto explained everything that had happened since the battle between the Sannin. From Sasuke's defection, which had surprised Gamakichi, to his adventure in the Land of Vegetables, to meeting Fuu and their journey through the Land of Sound.

"Wow, never a dull moment with you, huh?" Gamakichi asked, clearly amused. "But why don't you ask that girl for help?"

"Eh, I figure she's too busy with her own story to help me out besides maybe giving me some advice. Besides, she wants to beat the old perv so much, I think I should let her focus."

"All right, I get it. Wouldn't want to distract your girlfriend." Gamakichi commented, smirking at the blond's surprised reaction.

"She's not my girlfriend!" He said heatedly before calming a bit, not wanting to betray his feelings for Sakura. "She's just a friend, that's all."

"Sure, sure." Gamakichi replied, still grinning at his summoner.

And so, the two began to talk about Naruto's upcoming book. For the most part, Naruto would propose something and Gamakichi would comment on how it was awesome, boring, or what have you, or occasionally offer an idea on how to spice things up along with some jokes that would leave both laughing or some good natured ribbing from Gamakichi.

Eventually, the blond decides to ask a question that had been nagging on his mind for quite a while. "Say, Gamakichi." Said toad looked up at him. "What's your home like?"

"Hm?" Gamakichi carelessly pops another candy into his mouth and rolled it around on his tongue for a bit before responding, "What, the old man never told you? We live on a mountain called Mt. Myoboku. As for what it's like, eh, what can I say? It's home. Certainly a great place, peaceful too. I don't think you can go anywhere without seeing some plant life." He said, looking to the sky as he continued, "Beneath the mountain, there's a forest as far as the eye can see. Not like the one around Konoha, though. It's… I don't know… more… tranquil. You'd really have to go there to understand." He then brightened up and turned to Naruto. "Hey, why don't you visit some time?"

"I've thought about it." Naruto replied with a shrug, remembering what he'd learned of the Reverse Summoning Technique when he'd asked his perverted sensei about Space-Time jutsu. "But how would I get back? The Pervy Sage couldn't summon me, I'm not walking all the way here from Konoha and I don't want to waste some toads time having them called out here just to summon me."

"Good point." Gamakichi conceded.

With a smile, Naruto added, "But I'll be sure to come by check it out once we get back to Konoha."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

* * *

It took eight months. Eight months of training and travelling, writing whenever they had the time and weren't too burnt out to put pen to paper, before finally, their work was done. Fuu had finished just a few weeks earlier, and Jiraiya was just waiting for Naruto's contribution before sending them both in.

It had been nearly half a year since he had turned 14, longer since Fuu had turned 15, and both had seen quite a growth spurt over the past few months.

Roughly half of the training trip had elapsed and, even with this latest distraction, they hadn't wasted any time. Naruto now stood at 5ft 3in and had lost any remaining traces of baby fat on his face.

His attire had changed slightly. His vest still fit and he liked his gloves, so they'd been resized once they began to grow too snug and he intended to keep doing so. His shirt, however, had been swapped out for a hooded version with the Konoha leaf emblazoned on the chest in red, and he had a pair of off white pants. He liked this look and thought he'd keep it up until his return to Konoha.

Fuu stood slightly shorter at 5ft 2in. Fortunately for her as much of her usual outfit consisted of bandages she wouldn't need to change that unless she felt like it. The girl now sported a pair of budding lower B-cups which pushed against her shirt slightly, much to her delight. She was a bit of a late bloomer and had been quite distraught about it. She also wore her hair a little longer, flowing slightly past her shoulders at the back and the bangs framing her face stopping just at them.

The bandages on her legs had been replaced with asymmetrical white leggings under her new white apron skirt, one of which stopped just above her knee while the other went halfway down her calf. Her shirt had and armlets hadn't changed, but she had added white shin guards to her attire.

Naruto nodded to himself as he sat on the roof of the tallest building in the village and looked at the completed manuscript, very satisfied with what he'd written. If there were books like this one out there, he might actually have to spend more time in the library.

Like his mentor and teammate, he had decided to use his own life as a base for his story. The tale began the way many did, centering on a boy who had nothing, no family, only passing friends, someone no one expected to succeed, growing to be a hero. One large focus was on the boy's team; a loner who was something of a rival, and later a friend, to the main character who sought to avenge his murdered parents and the girl who had a crush on him, who the young hero in turn had feelings for.

The villain was a former shinobi of their village who betrayed them when he was passed up for its leader. Remembering Jiraiya's words about how most monsters you ran across were once decent people, he made the villain similar to the hero in the past, but ambitious. Having grown up in war and grown increasingly disgusted with the state of things, he betrayed the village when he was passed over and sought to rule the world for the 'right reasons'.

As a twist, the villain, seeing the rival's potential, gets him to follow in his footsteps and join him. The hero eventually defeats the villain, saving his nation, but the rival remains evil.

The one thing he didn't like was the ending. Surprisingly enough for him, given his general demeanor, the book had a bittersweet ending. He just couldn't come up with a satisfying conclusion to the tale without the rival dying in the epic final confrontation between him and the hero, followed by the surviving members of the team mourning him and looking to the future.

Making a mental note to ask Fuu about anything like his story, as well as gaining a slight appreciation for written text from the experience, he rose and began leaping across the rooftops, beginning the journey back to the hotel the student teacher trio were staying at.

* * *

"All right…" Jiraiya said, holding both their manuscripts as he looked down at his students, a confident grin plastered on his face. "I'll send 'em to my publisher and put in a good word for you and we'll see who's work outdoes who's. Just don't come crying to me when my genius comes out on top." He laughed as the two glared at him.

* * *

Two months later and the results were in.

Jiraiya stared down at the sales reports, his entire body slack and his face a mask of disbelief and despair. "I don't believe it…" he croaked out.

At his sides stood the two Jinchuriki, both staring at the results in shock. After the publisher had decided to try out their books and put them on the market, it was clear both were a major hit in the first few days. It helped that Naruto had the bright idea that they should invest some of their advanced pay in advertising. While they had known about this, nothing could have prepared them for the final outcome.

As it turned out, both had beaten the sales of all of Jiraiya's Icha Icha series by a wide margin, however…

Fuu's body went limp, all energy and light seeming to leave her form while Naruto threw up his arms and let out a victory cry.

While both had won their little contest, Naruto's book had beaten the combined sales rate of Fuu's book and any one of the Icha Icha series after a two month period by a wide margin.

"Ha! Take that, Pervy Sage! We both beat you!" Naruto said triumphantly.

"This… this has to be a joke." Jiraiya said as he looked at the paper, his eye twitching slightly.

"You wish! We beat you hands down, right, Fuu?" Naruto asked, turning his head to look at the mint haired girl, only to be shocked by what he saw.

Fuu was on her hands and knees, her head fallen forward, causing her hair to drape around her face and hide her features in shadow as a cloud of gloom seemed to hover above her.

"How could someone who's never read a book without being forced to write better than me?" The sulking girl asked, sniffling slightly.

Naruto made a surprised sound before jumping to Fuu's side, kneeling down and resting a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, come on, Fuu snap out of it. Look on the bright side, you still showed up the Pervy Sage."

"Well, that's true." She replied, her voice still carrying a hint of gloom. Still, the reminder that she'd beaten out their sensei's smut quickly brought her spirits back up. Rising to her feet, Fuu's expression brightened. While she was still a little miffed about having her work so decisively beaten, she'd still outdone her perverted sensei. "Well, hate to say I told you so, but you can't argue with results."

"B-, but…" Jiraiya began, his bottom lip beginning to quiver. He couldn't believe it, but there it was in front of him. And to add insult to injury, neither of their books had even a mention of sex at all! Try as he might, he could no longer argue with Fuu's words.

"But nothing. Face it Ero-sensei; you're writing's nothing but perverted garbage, just like I said." Fuu said, crossing her arms over her chest and smiling in a self satisfied manner.

Naruto gave his sensei a shit eating grin as he added, "And don't forget, you have to go a whole year without any of your 'research'."

That seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back, as tears began to spill from Jiraiya's eyes and his face became a mask of depression and despair.

"See, told you it'd be worth it." Fuu said as she turned to her fellow Jinchuriki.

"Yeah, I gotta say it was tough at first but by the end it was pretty fun. I might just have to join you next time you head to a library."

Naruto and Fuu gave each other a high five for a job well done as Jiraiya sobbed in a corner of the room, his pride as a writer destroyed.

Then a thought occurred to Naruto. He turned his head, casting a curious glance towards the envelope that laid on the table. "Hey, how much did we make anyway?"

Fuu arched a mint colored brow as she followed him and watched as he took out the checks. Her primary goal in all this had been to show her sensei just how bad his writing was and briefly how she'd been beaten by someone who didn't even like to read, the money had kind of slipped her mind.

Both teens wore identical expressions of shock, their jaws dropping as they took in their profits.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**Next, while it's a little late than I'd planned, I'm finally going to upload the first chapter of the remake of my Bleach fic. Once I finish the second chapter, I'll finally get to the next chapter of Jinchuriki of the Six Paths.**

**Also, I noticed a challenge that intrigues me. I promised myself I wouldn't try to write more than three stories at a time, but the inspiration struck me too hard and I couldn't put down the idea. So, sometime in the following months, I'm going to start a dark Soul Eater fic where Maka and Soul follow the path of the Kishin.**

**Please review.**


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